Data from the Ministry of Health on cases of violence in government hospitals show that by 2021, by the end of October, there were 4,631 riots in hospitals - about 15 incidents a day.
In 2020, 5,300 events occurred.
252 of the cases in 2021 included physical violence, 115 incidents of threats and 121 cases of verbal violence or damage to property, and a total of 488 incidents.
In 2020, there were 306 incidents of physical violence, 128 threats and 225 cases of verbal violence or damage to property, and a total of 659 violent incidents.
Today, the Histadrut will hold an emergency discussion on the issue.
In the discussion, decisions are expected to be made on sharp and significant organizational measures, until full security is achieved for the brothers and sisters in their place of work in the public health system.
"If the Ministry of Health had implemented the agreement between us, there is a high probability that the severe cases of violence could have been reduced, thus avoiding physical and mental harm to those whose entire sin was treating Israeli citizens," wrote Ilana Cohen, Histadrut chairman. Health Prof. Nachman Ash.
New documentation from the mass brawl at Soroka Hospital // Photo: MDA spokeswoman
Dr. Zeev Feldman, chairman of the State Physicians Association and acting chairman of the Hari, added that “the unusual incidents of violence that trickled down to Soroka and Meir hospitals flooded the helplessness and vulnerability of the medical staff members.
The verbal and physical violence in the health care system is everyday, and everyone seems to treat it as a necessary routine.
We applied on behalf of the Freedom of Information Act and asked the police for data on violence against medical staff, and received a prompt reply that they did not have.
I call for the opening of police stations in all hospitals, and to allow us to treat patients without fear or apprehension. "
"Bezeq legislation required"
Meanwhile, an "Israel Today" inspection of hospitals around the country that we conducted due to the riots that broke out at Soroka and Meir hospitals, reveals a disturbing picture.
Ichilov Hospital recorded 249 incidents of violence in the first three quarters of 2021, of which 11 incidents of physical violence and 11 incidents of threats.
Herzog and his wife on a tour of the hospitals, Photo: Haim-Tzach-Lam
Since the beginning of the year, 300 riots have been reported at Laniado Hospital, including 9 cases of physical violence against staff members and 15 cases of threats against them. The hospital's director general, Nadav Chen, said that "Includes the obligation to impose a minimum sentence and compare the punishment of attackers of medical staff for assaulting a police officer in the performance of his duties."
Dr. Eran Rotman, director of Beilinson Hospital, said that "unfortunately, the incidents of violence disrupt the hospital's routine. We give a variety of tools to staff to deal with the cases, such as workshops and studies."
At the Shaare Zedek Medical Center, 11 incidents of violence were recorded during 2021. The hospital said that during the current year, the hospital security guards prevented 11 more incidents of violence.
Violent incidents were also recorded at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, including the assault of staff members by the son of a patient in the intensive care unit.
944 cases have been registered at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer since the beginning of the year.
In all cases, the involvement of a security guard on behalf of the hospital was required.
Prof. Arnon Afek, Deputy Director of Sheba Medical Center and Director of the General Hospital: "Violence against medical staff across the country has crossed every border and must be stopped. From a local health system problem, the phenomenon of violence has become a national problem."
At Kaplan Medical Center, violent incidents were reported on a daily basis.
According to hospital security staff, they are called in once or four times a day over the past year to protect medical staff in all wards.
Ronit Ilser, director of nursing at the hospital's hospital: "There is no shift without violence.
There is no day without us summoning the confidence that will protect us from patients or family members.
There is contempt for the medical staff and a sense of distrust.
We feel that every boundary has been broken and that everything is legitimate and permissible.
We are public servants and we need to be protected. "
The commotion outside Soroka Hospital,
There were no physical assaults at Assuta Hospital in Ashdod this year, but the hospital reports many cases of verbal violence and insults - dozens a year. Are forced to deal with the embarrassing phenomenon, and at one of its peak events last May a hospital brother was attacked by a family while asking them to evacuate to a protected space during an alarm.
The family members beat him and threw an iron stroller at him.
At the Galilee Medical Center, 159 incidents of violence took place this year, in which the intervention of the security team was necessary.
At Rambam Hospital, 1,566 riot incidents were recorded this year, 80 of which involved police involvement.
Dr. Avi Weissman, Deputy Director of the Rambam Medical Campus in Haifa: "The incidents are more violent and very frightening, and most of them are related to criminal incidents that take place in the area."
At Poria Hospital in Tiberias, 12 cases of violence have been dealt with in the last two months alone. Barzilai Hospital describes serious cases in which the violence breaks out due to routine medical procedures.
For example, in October a 36-year-old man attacked a doctor after not receiving a letter of release.
Herzog: "Following with concern"
Meanwhile, President Yitzhak Herzog and his wife Michal toured hospitals in the northern region.
During a visit to the Galilee Medical Center, President Herzog referred to the recent incidents of violence in hospitals and clarified: "I am following with concern the escalation of violence throughout the country. The events we have seen in recent days at Soroka and Meir hospitals are shocking and severe.
"Unfortunately, I hear that this is a widespread phenomenon in many hospitals all over the country. A real blow to the state. There can be no situation where Israeli citizens do not feel safe in the place that is supposed to be the safest for them. How can it be that the place we go to receive life-saving treatment "Of life-threatening? Where have we come from? We must condemn and condemn the phenomenon of violence in any way possible."
Yaron Doron, Yuri Yalon, Dan Lavi, Ilya Yagurov, Shlomi Diaz and Daniel Sirioti participated in the preparation of the article.
