Director General of the Ministry of Health Moshe Bar Siman-Tov on Sunday urged the Israel Medical Association to stop the protests in public hospitals and clinics planned for the next day, warning that they could harm patients.
In a letter sent to the association’s chairman Zion Hagay, Bar Siman-Tov said he did not deny the “need to protest” over the recent violence against medical workers but warned that “the proposed measures will harm patients and their daily activities.”
“Like you, I and the officials of the Ministry of Health are following the recent events with great concern and we strongly consider any report of violence in the medical field. This is causing great harm to the system and its employees and must be linked to the principles of tolerance,” he wrote in the letter, which was published by the newspaper about Channel 12.
Bar Siman-Tov said he will send a letter to all employees of the ministry summarizing some of the actions that have already been taken to deal with violence and what the ministry is planning to do soon.
He said he would visit Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba – the site of recent violence against medical workers – on Tuesday and invite Hagay to join him.
“It is clear that there is more to be done,” he said, stressing that he was “determined” to use all possible means to ensure medical care for patients and staff alike.
Zion Hagay (Image from YouTube; used in accordance with Article 27a of the Freedom Act)
He encouraged Hagay to reconsider the strike. “Considering our readiness to take action in this matter, I ask you to refrain from what has been said,” said Bar Siman-Tov.
He also offered support in the letter to doctors and nurses who are dealing with violent attacks from patients on a daily basis.
“We are going through a difficult and dangerous time where violence against health workers has become a daily occurrence,” he said. “The officials of the Ministry of Health are close to you in dealing with this unacceptable problem.”
The planned strike, which was announced by the doctors’ union on Thursday, comes after a series of recent attacks in Israeli hospitals.
Recently, the police arrested a 17-year-old patient at a women’s hospital in Ramle last week who is suspected of beating a doctor with brass knuckles and hitting him on the head. The doctor needed medical attention at a nearby hospital.
A day earlier, a two-hour emergency at Soroka Medical Center was called after a pediatrician was assaulted by the parents of a 15-month-old child being treated at the hospital.
In announcing the strike, the Israel Medical Association said hospitals and clinics would remain open throughout Monday, offering reduced services. The board will run a special case selection committee.
A photo taken from a video showing the parents of a young child beating a doctor at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba for refusing to expedite treatment for their child, January 16, 2023. (Twitter/Screenshot: used in accordance with Article 27a of the Copyright Law)
Cases of violence against healthcare workers are not uncommon. Last June, the doctors’ union announced a two-day strike to protest the violence against doctors and the government’s failure to implement a plan to deal with such problems.
Last May, the Ministry of Finance approved a budget to hire police officers to be stationed in 28 hospitals across the country, following an increase in violence against medical workers.
