Elderly exploited in unethical experiments in Israel

JERUSALEM — Four Israeli doctors are suspected of participating in hundreds of illegal experiments on elderly patients who did not or could not provide consent. The four senior doctors at two hospitals were arrested Oct. 9, according to Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper. The physicians serve at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot and Hartzfeld Geriatric Hospital in Gedera. Among other charges, they are suspected of wrongful death through negligence and abuse of helpless victims. In March 2005, Haaretz reported that an Israeli Health Ministry committee said at least one patient died directly as a result of an experiment and 12 others died during or after experiments.