פסק-דין בתיק ו"ע 288-06

ערעור על החלטת קצין התגמולים לפיה נדחתה תביעת המערער להכיר בקשר בין מחלת הסכרת (מסוג 2) ממנה הוא סובל לבין השתתפותו בזיהוי הגופות באסון המסוקים בשנת 1997.

א. מבוא:

1.       המערער, יליד 1945, התגייס לצבא בשנת 1965 כלוחם בנח"ל.

          בשנת 1983 התגייס לשירות קבע כרב צבאי - תפקיד בו שימש עד שנת 2005.

          תפקידו כרב צבאי כלל, בין היתר, איתור וזיהוי חללים.

2.       ביום 4/2/97 אירע אסון המסוקים בו התנגשו שני מסוקי צה"ל מעל עמק החולה.       בהתנגשות קשה זו נהרגו 73 חיילים.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

3.       בעת האסון שימש המערער כרבה של אוגדה 91, ובמסגרת תפקידו כרב צבאי היה עליו לאתר חלקי גופות החיילים ההרוגים ולזהותם.

4.       אין חולק כי המערער פעל, יחד עם גורמים נוספים, לאיסוף ופינוי חלקי הגופות ולזיהויים      במשך שלוש יממות רצופות, וכי מלאכת זיהוי הגופות הייתה סבוכה ומורכבת.

5.       עוד נטען, והדבר לא נסתר, כי במהלך זיהוי הגופות נתקל המערער בגופותיהם של מפקד וחייל שהכיר (ראה פירוט בהמשך).

6.       המערער טוען כי תפקידו באיתור הגופות ובזיהויין היה קשה באופן מיוחד. במהלך ארבעת החודשים שלאחר האסון התקשה המערער להירדם בלילה והמראות             הקשים שחווה במהלך פינוי וזיהוי הגופות שבו וחזרו - דבר המשפיע ומלווה אותו עד היום.

7.       נטען כי בחודש מאי 1997, בעת בדיקה שגרתית שבוצעה למערער, התברר כי רמת הסוכר שלו     לאחר צום הינה גבוהה (127 מ"ג -ערך אבחנתי לסוכרת). בעקבות כך נשלח ביום 14/7/97 לבירור מקיף ברמב"ם. שם בוצעה לו, בין היתר, בדיקת סוכר שלוש שעות לאחר ארוחה.

לאור תוצאות הבדיקה הנוספת (195 מ"ג) הועלה חשד לסכרת והמערער הופנה לבדיקות נוספות שבסיומן אובחן כחולה בסוכרת מסוג 2.   

לא הוצגה בדיקת דם מחודש 5/97 ואולם קיומה ותוצאותיה נלמד מהאמור במסמך רפואי מיום 14/7/97: " בבדיקה שנערכה לפני כחודשיים נמצא 127 בצום 14 שעות..".

8.       ביום 1/7/05 הגיש המערער תביעה להכרה בנכות בגין מחלת הסכרת ויתר לחץ הדם, אשר נגרמו לטענתו כתוצאה מתנאי שירותו הצבאי.

9.       המשיב דחה תביעתו וקבע כי מחלת הסכרת והיותו סובל מיתר לחץ דם אינם קשורים           לתנאי שירותו ואף לא הוחמרו עקב תנאי השירות.

10.     המערער הגיש ערר שנדון על ידי ועדה בראשות כב' השופט חרסונסקי (יצויין כי בערר המתוקן שהוגש ביום 19/12/07 צומצם הערעור לענין מחלת הסוכרת בלבד).

          בפסק דינה של הועדה בראשותו של כבוד השופט חרסונסקי מיום 26/1/10 נקבע כי לא          הוכחה קיומה של אסכולה רפואית לפיה קיים קשר בין דחק נפשי לסוכרת מסוג 2 ולפיכך      נדחה הערעור.

11.     המערער הגיש ערעור לבית המשפט המחוזי בחיפה (ע"ו 27910-03-10).

בפסק הדין שניתן על ידי ערכאת הערעור (בהסכמת הצדדים) נקבע כי הערעור יתקבל באופן שהתיק יוחזר לוועדת הערעורים על מנת שתדון בשתי שאלות כדלקמן: