The Israeli Health Ministry has condemned the Assuta Medical Center in Tel Aviv for significant professional misconduct and for attempting to conceal serious errors at its fertility clinic, including a case where a woman was mistakenly inseminated with the wrong sperm. The Ministry’s inquiry also revealed other incidents involving the destruction of patients’ eggs, as outlined in a harsh statement released Thursday.
While the Ministry disclosed the findings of the investigation, it did not publish the full report nor specify what actions, if any, would be taken against the facility. The investigation was initiated following multiple alarming incidents at Assuta’s IVF clinic in Ramat Hachayal, which led the Ministry to halt the center’s acceptance of new patients last year. One particularly concerning case involved two children born to a woman via in-vitro fertilization (IVF), only to discover that they were not genetically related to the intended father.
The investigation uncovered a range of missteps, including a failure to respond promptly and effectively to the mistaken insemination. Assuta staff, once the error was discovered, were criticized for their slow and inadequate response, and the incident was not reported to the Health Ministry as required. Moreover, the couple affected by the mistake was met with a lack of professionalism and empathy from the hospital staff, who reportedly perceived the couple’s demands for answers as an attack.
In a further critique, the Health Ministry noted that the medical center initially downplayed the seriousness of the incident, dismissing it as non-reportable to the authorities.
This report followed a recent legal decision concerning another IVF error at Assuta’s Rishon Lezion branch. A court ruled that the biological parents of a two-year-old girl were her legal parents, despite the child having been raised by another couple. However, there has been no indication of any legal action regarding the two children mentioned in the Health Ministry’s report on the Ramat Hachayal incident.
Additionally, the Ministry’s inquiry was sparked by another troubling case involving 13 fertilized eggs that were accidentally destroyed due to improper storage at Assuta. The investigation revealed discrepancies between the internal and external reports regarding the incident, with the official version failing to address key issues like the lab’s heavy workload, long hours, and prior warnings from embryologists about potential risks. The inquiry concluded that Assuta had made a deliberate effort to conceal critical information from the Health Ministry.
In response, Assuta issued a statement acknowledging the findings and pledging to address the issues raised. The medical center emphasized its commitment to transparency and correcting the identified faults. It claimed to have fully cooperated with the Health Ministry’s investigation and conducted a thorough internal review. Assuta also stated that it had implemented new safety measures, including advanced technology and additional staffing to improve procedures.
Regarding the incident involving the dried eggs, Assuta admitted to the oversight but said the issue had been addressed by clarifying procedures and strengthening its internal monitoring systems. The center pointed to a recent Health Ministry report as evidence that it had made progress in improving safety and quality standards in the clinic.
In a related investigation, the Health Ministry’s report from March 2023 also identified significant protocol violations due to overwork in the IVF department, which contributed to the embryo mix-up at Assuta’s Ramat Hachayal location.
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