Prof. Galia Rahav, one of the figures most identified with the health system's response to the corona plague, is embarking on an unprecedented fight against the Ministry of Health.
According to her, the ministry is carrying out an illegal snatch that will harm public health, in its decision to allow even unskilled, talented or experienced enough doctors to engage in prevention of infections in hospitals.
"It is not possible from now on for one person to decide who is an expert in preventing infections in hospitals," Prof. Rahav, who also serves as chairman of the Association for Infectious Diseases in the Medical Association, told Israel Today. In public life and well-being. The standards and guidelines for the treatment of corona came from the experts in infectious diseases in Israel, and we have not heard from the national unit for the prevention of infections in this matter. "
The background to the struggle, first revealed here, is a new decision by the Ministry of Health to allow doctors to be appointed in hospitals who are not only specialists in infectious diseases, after a specialization of up to eight years as before - but also from other fields, such as internal medicine or public health. And internships are much shortened, and will receive internal approval from the National Center for Infection Prevention and Antibiotic Resistance under the direction of Prof. Yehuda Carmeli. The decision was recently published as part of the provisions of the law, which regulate a special budget of about NIS 50 million, which is transferred to the hospitals according to the degree of their success in preventing infections.
The ministry's decision was made even though the Scientific Council of the Medical Association - the only body, by law, responsible for determining the internship program - rejected in a special hearing the ministry's request to approve a new internship in infection prevention, stating that it will continue to be part of existing internships. The council's discussion was held following a request from Prof. Carmeli and nine directors of infection control units in hospitals, from the council's chairman, Prof. Hanoch Keshtan, because it is necessary to "train dozens of doctors in the next decade, who will specialize in this field of infection prevention and practice it as their main profession."
Prof. Rahav wrote to the Minister of Health, Nitzan Horowitz, and to the director general of the ministry, Prof. Nachman Ash, that "this is an illegal section that tries to circumvent the procedure for training doctors.
It is not possible for a specialist in infection prevention to be a doctor who specializes in internal medicine and infectious diseases for only six months.
How is it possible that a public health expert, who has not specialized at all in internal medicine or infectious diseases, will deal with bacterial resistance and antibiotic treatment? ".
Prof. Hagai Zion, chairman of the Medical Association, wrote to Horowitz and Prof. Ash that the change "is seen as an attempt to act in the dark, and to implement a change that has dramatic consequences for the fight against the corona and infectious diseases in general."
Prof. Zion told Israel Today: "The Ministry of Health is leading a move that seeks to mark a 'V' around the need to prevent infections while bypassing all professional factors, including the Israeli Infectious Diseases Association, the Association of Public Health Physicians and the Scientific Council. The profession will increase the demand for it among young interns, the firm will train physicians who are not specialists in infectious diseases as those who will oversee the prevention of infections in hospitals.
"We have become accustomed to being pulled out of the sleeve by finance officials, but when it comes to the professional level in the Ministry of Health it is particularly puzzling. I have no doubt that the Minister of Health will also understand that someone here was confused. " The Ministry of Health's response: "The director general of the ministry is studying the issue in depth, and among other things, a meeting has been scheduled with the chairman of the Scientific Council, during which the promotion of this important issue will also be discussed."