Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Minister of Economy Orna Barbibai and Minister of Health Nitzan Horowitz concluded the beginning of the assessments and the promotion of the allocation of resources required for the issue.
In the meantime, Dr. Ray Beaton, chairman of the Association of Specialist Doctors, agreed to withdraw the letters of resignation and return to regular work.
This follows the letter sent last week, which was signed by the chairman of the Hospital Directors Association, the head of the Hospital Directors Association and the chairman of the Government Hospital Directors Forum, in which they stated that they "congratulate the government which is being mobilized to promote the improvement of doctors' conditions, easing the burden during working hours and shift hours.
There is no doubt that there must be an answer from the root to the plight of the shifts."
Interns protest, archive, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Prime Minister Lapid said: "The shifts of the interns are insane, their conditions for making life and death decisions are not possible.
I promised that we will do everything to shorten the times, we will harness the health insurance funds and the hospitals with us.
The interns have been taking care of us and taking care of us for many years now, it's time for us to take care of you back, this is the first step to the evaluations and I thank Dr. Ray for the answers and the joint work."
Health Minister Horowitz said: "I welcome the intervention of the Prime Minister in favor of shortening the interns' shifts.
The allocation of resources and the standards, which were agreed upon about a year ago, are necessary for the actual start of the move.
After the long struggle I waged for the shortening of shifts, and at the end of professional and responsible staff work led by the Ministry of Health, it is possible and necessary to start immediately."
"Struggle of being or ceasing": Dr. Ray Beaton, archive, photo: Olivier Fitosi/Flash90
Dr. Rae Beaton said: "There is no doubt that we took a significant step today towards the start of the implementation of the shortening of shifts.
The personal involvement of Prime Minister Yair Lapid and the CEO of the Ministry, Naama Schultz, made the breakthrough possible and we thank them for that. Now that it has been clarified that there is no legal impediment and by order of the Prime Minister, we expect the Ministry of Finance to transfer the agreed budget immediately to start the process.
This is also an opportunity to thank the Minister of Health Nitzan Horvitz and the Minister of the Economy Orna Barbiei who stood by our side the whole way.
The shortening of shifts has been achieved and we will continue to work so that it will be implemented as soon as possible in every hospital in Israel for the interns and for the entire public in Israel."
The Chairman of the Medical Association, Prof. Zion Hagai, said: "Prime Minister Lapid and Minister of Economy Barbibai issued a death sentence on public medicine in the periphery.
Instead of strengthening the interns, they strengthen the strong and deal a fatal blow to the already weak."
Minister of Health Nitzan Horowitz, photo: Eyal Margolin - Gini
Prof. Hagai explains that already today the hospitals in the periphery are experiencing great difficulty in recruiting new doctors, and this difficulty will only get worse following the "voluntary model" proposed by Barbibai and Lapid.
"Against the background of the existing shortage of doctors, and without giving priority to the periphery, the voluntary permit that will serve the same handful of departments in the hospitals in the center is a bad and irresponsible outline, which is entirely mixed with short-term political reasons."
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
