The gathering
A special gathering was recently held by Moked HaRav, a Halachic Medical Hotline, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein.
The gathering drew the rabbonim of hospitals from North to South. HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein, head of the organization, spoke about the ongoing operation of a hospital, dealing at length with the issue of telling a non-Jew to do a prohibited act on Shabbos as opposed to using the grommo alternative in activating various devices by indirect actions. The issue is to decide which is preferable.
HaRav Klein said the halachic fundamental which he learned from his master-teacher HaRav Wosner about cases that do not involve life-threats. "One may not apply leniencies of grommo on a regular basis for this is the beginning of Shabbos violation, besides which some opinions cast doubt upon this hetter altogether. In such cases one must perform the maximum through a non-Jew."
If there is a life threat the clear preference is for whichever works best and fastest.
Where there is no life threat, but routine operation on a hospital or at home, all of the modern authorities agreed that grommo is not to be used. Many argued that if an instrument or appliance is built to be operated indirectly through grommo, that becomes the normal operation and it is a meleches machsheves prohibited on Shabbos.
