I am BH able to afford the clinic in Wolfson (especially back then when prices weren’t what they are now – I also carry worldwide insurance that would cover real care in Wolfson), and when I asked for a referral I told the referring doctor I was willing to pay for good work. If I wanted care in EY, I would not hesitate to try that clinic again for another specialty.
However, I earn my money the old-fashioned way. I do not like to be cheated, especially by medical personnel who judge me by my charedi dress and don’t realize that I understand everything they tell me and then some.
There was no real corrective operation for the scar on my hand, and the doctor knew this. (There may be one now thanks to medical lasers, but I could care less to have it corrected.) He also knew that my minor complaint of dirt accumulating in it would resolve with time, and it did. He could have told me that over the phone. Instead, this creep, an American who was probably frustrated at making aliyah (or perhaps was running from a malpractice suit or a board disciplinary action) tried to sell me a useless procedure, which would have been OK if he had not charged me for the privilege. He should have charged me a symbolic fee and told me the truth, which was that I had a problem that was not worth taking care of. This was not a matter of a real condition that needed top-notch care.
His (lacking) ethics are pretty much in line with what I experienced from many RZ/MO “professionals” in EY, whether olim or locals. They think charedim are captive patients and clients because we’d rather have shomrei Shabbos professionals. I happen found out that he and his wife, also an MD, practice and advocate a dangerous alternative diet. Had I known that back then, I would not have gone to him on moral grounds.
In the US, I would not have even asked a rov for a heter – I would have contacted the licensing board. I don’t have a heter to expose him online, and I doubt it would do me any good to do so given his particular specialty. If he wants to make money doing nose jobs on rich kallahs from the US, let him do so.
This is the clinic in Wolfson Towers, and at least back then it was very fancy but it did accept at least one kupat cholim. It was so fancy that when I was there, the receptionist threw out a frum askan who brought two poor people in need of help and for whom he was willing to cover all charges. I should have walked out then as I was thinking of doing – I don’t need to get care at Mirpaat Sdom veAmorah.
The doctor actually hinted to me that if I made aliyah, he’d pull some shtick with Makabi and give me a good deal as if the surgery were medically indicated. A real tzaddik, gematriya 80:90.