For the first time since the signing of the outline for shortening shifts, and after thousands of interns threatened to resign, the heads of the "Registry" interns' organization and representatives from the Medical Association met today (Sunday) together with Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz.
The meeting was scheduled with the ministry's director general, Prof. Nachman Ash, and Minister Horowitz arrived "by surprise" after long weeks in which he did not meet with the interns who demonstrated near his home.
A source present at the meeting notes that one of the options that emerges from the interns is to increase the number of shifts (beyond 6 on the month set in the outline) in exchange for expanding the outline of shortening the shifts to include more hospitals in the center.
Before entering the meeting, Minister Horowitz said: "I decided to join the meeting because I am the minister of the interns, they are important to me, and I have been working for them since my time as an opposition MK. I come to express my great appreciation to the interns to them".
Interns' protest in Tel Aviv, Photo: Elad Gutman
"As we have done since we started the process of shortening the shifts, we will continue to work with the interns in cooperation and in continuous contact. I am committed to shortening the internships, in all hospitals across the country. I said this from my first day in office, and I will achieve this goal. Big and significant, and this is just the beginning, "the minister concluded.
Earlier in the morning, during the opening of the academic year, medical students held protests in faculties across the country.
Hundreds of students chanted "No shortcut No students."
Checks were recorded at the medical faculties in Bar Ilan, Safed, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Technion.
During Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz's visit to Tel Aviv University, dozens of medical students demonstrated in favor of a struggle specialized in shortening shifts.
Presidency student leadership chairman Eran Dotan said: “Health Minister Horowitz needs to understand if there is no shortcut, there are no medical students.
We will not sit on the sidelines when the interns resign. "
"Medical students are an integral part of the interns' protest," said Prescription Organization chairman Dr. Ray Bitton.
Today it's us, tomorrow it's them.
It is exciting to see the demonstrations of solidarity on the part of medical students.
If there is no shortcut there will be no interns, there will be no students.
It is a battle for our present and their future. "