When Dr. Mordechai Shani, the director of the Sheba Medical Center, was in yechidus in the autumn of 5737 (1976), the Rebbe brought up the issue of the place of technology in medicine.
“At that time,” relates Dr. Shani, “the dawning of the age of the personal computer, technology was not yet a dominant component of the medical world. The problems related to technology in medicine would not become apparent for years to come. But the Rebbe was forward-thinking.
“The Rebbe said to me, ‘It is up to you, the doctors, to determine the outcome: whether this technology will be used for the benefit of the people.’
“The Rebbe expressed the worry that technology might distance the doctor from the patient. ‘At the end of the day,’ the Rebbe explained, ‘the emotional support of the doctor, the human being, is most important, and while technology can be a very helpful tool, it cannot become a replacement for listening and caring.’
“Unfortunately,” concludes Dr. Shani, “the Rebbe was right to worry. Today, for many doctors, technology has become the central means of practicing medicine instead of using it as a helping tool, sometimes to the detriment of the patient.”
