The employees of the English Hospital in Nazareth started a strike this morning (Thursday) following the non-payment of the August salary to the employees, after the institution ran into a deficit of NIS 30 million.
Following the strike, the workers stopped some of the medical services, including the operating rooms and clinics.
Operating room at the English Convalescent Home in Nazareth,
The hospital doctors and the nursing staff are furious that the state is not meeting its obligations, according to them.
The hospital provides services to about 80,000 patients a year, mainly from the villages and cities in the Nazareth area.
The chairman of the workers' committee told "Israel Hayom" that if no solution is found, starting Monday, all medical services at the hospital will be shut down, with the exception of life-saving services.
Maternity ward at the English Hospital in Nazareth, photo: Moshe Shay
The hospital is facing a severe cash flow crisis, and already a year ago the hospital management warned the Ministries of Health and Finance that the hospital's budgeting must be completed.
According to the hospital's management, last year it was budgeted 15 million shekels less than in 2020. The budget reduction caused the hospital a deficit of tens of millions of shekels.
The employees of the English Hospital in Nazareth protest, Photo: Public Relations of the English Hospital in Nazareth
Dr. Munder Hakim, chairman of the doctors' committee at the hospital: "We have reached a situation where we have run out of oxygen. This is the last choice left before us. For 160 years, the English Hospital in Nazareth has existed with little support from the state, and is still working to move forward, expand services and do the best In order to provide the best medical services for the population in the north of the country who suffer the most from poor and unequal medical services. Although the hospital provides services identical to those provided by other hospitals in the country, the hospital's employees earn an average of 30% less than other hospital employees. It is time that the state Correct this injustice."
The English Hospital in Nazareth,
Eyal Shomer, Chairman of the Workers' Council: "We live in one of the most developed countries in the world, which grants rights enshrined in law to receive health services.
There is no reason in the world for the residents of Nazareth and the periphery to receive second-class medical services while the residents of the rest of the country will receive first-class services.
The hospital employees financed the hospital's activities themselves in the absence of a budget.
No more.
We will not stop the protest measures until a long-term solution is found and not just another band-aid that will solve the problem for a month or two."
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
