The Lakewood Alerts website has consistently cautioned the community about the severe dangers posed by Hatzulas Nefashos, an organization that presents itself as a volunteer ambulance service in Jackson, NJ. The repeated alerts, along with strong warnings from rabbanim, have emphasized that this group’s operations are a direct threat to the safety and lives of the broader Lakewood community. Unfortunately, on Tuesday evening, Lakewood Alerts reports, these warnings turned into a grim reality.
The event unfolded in a residential area near E. Veterans Highway, where a young child sustained a serious head injury after falling off furniture. Blood was seen oozing from the child’s ear, a clear indicator of a skull fracture, which is a critical emergency requiring immediate attention from paramedics.
The parents, seemingly unaware of the repeated warnings regarding Hatzulas Nefashos, contacted the organization for help. When Hatzulas Nefashos’ inexperienced EMTs arrived, they were completely unprepared for the severity of the situation. Despite recognizing the need for urgent paramedic intervention, they did not take the necessary steps. Instead of calling Hatzolah of Central Jersey (HCJ), which is known for its qualified paramedics and established protocols, they opted to contact the Ocean County paramedic service. Reportedly, they were informed that it would take an astonishing 20 minutes for assistance to arrive.
Despite this dangerous delay, Hatzulas Nefashos did not contact HCJ. Instead, they made a reckless choice to transport the child themselves with only basic life support (BLS) to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, fully aware that they were not equipped to manage such a critical emergency. Approximately 45 minutes after the initial emergency call, while speeding down Jackson Mills Road, the situation worsened—the child became unresponsive in the back of their poorly equipped ambulance.
Finally realizing the severity of the situation, Hatzulas Nefashos made the call they should have made immediately. They reached out to HCJ, desperately requesting paramedics to take over. HCJ’s paramedics quickly arrived and assumed care for the child, but by that time, valuable moments had been lost. The child, who had been deprived of necessary care for an extended period, was rushed to the hospital, where they remain in serious condition in the PICU.
A deeply upset relative of the family contacted Lakewood Alerts to express their outrage, urging the community to take the warnings about Hatzulas Nefashos seriously. They called on the public to heed the advice of the rabbanim of greater Lakewood, who have clearly stated that only Hatzolah of Central Jersey has the capability to manage severe medical emergencies.
This close call is a stark reminder of the perils linked with Hatzulas Nefashos. The community cannot continue to allow this hazardous organization to operate, putting lives at risk. Let this incident be a wake-up call to all: in a medical emergency, the only organization to trust is Hatzolah of Central Jersey.
{Matzav.com}