A court has ruled that 26-year-old Hilal Azazia will remain in custody until Sunday for falsely passing himself off as a medical doctor to over 300 patients at Sheba Medical Center's emergency room, over a period of a month-and-a-half. Police suspects that Azazia carried out such invasive procedures as drawing blood and inserting IVs.

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Azazia (R) and the emergency room at Sheba Medical Center (Photo: Ofer Amram)

Azazia would apparently photograph himself in the hospital's different examination rooms while wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope. An emergency room worker claimed that after Azazia realized that an investigation had been opened into his conduct, he erased his Facebook page.

Azazia had worked in the past at Sheba Medical Center' as a nursing student, but was fired several months ago. Despite "treating" patients for some time, a member of the medical staff filed a complaint only this week. He was reportedly arrested shortly thereafter.

Police officers arrived at the emergency room on Wednesday to question the staff and try to establish what procedures Azazia had performed on patients.

Patients at the emergency room expressed their concerns over the case, but said that they felt relieved after hearing of his arrest. Among other things, Azazia is suspected of pretending to be a public servant, a medical doctor and of fraud.

Extending his arrest until Sunday, a judge at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court stated that "The impression received from the case does not (explain) the liberty, oversight and kinds of procedures that the suspect had supposedly carried out." A police representative said that Azazia has accepted having carried out the actions he is accused of performing.

Azazia's legal council, attorney Merav Ben Shabat, attempted to minimize the severity of her client's actions. "Everything was done under medical supervision. He didn't perform any surgical actions, only simple blood pressure exams." She also claimed that he arrived at the emergency room as a volunteer, and that those in charge were informed of his presence.

Sheba Medical Center issued a statement regarding the matter assuring that "The issue is under police investigation, and we are cooperating fully."