Lapid achieved a picture of victory in the struggle of the interns - but in the difficult battle they will find themselves alone

The Prime Minister ordered the transfer of tens of millions contrary to the position of the Treasury, which may try to prevent the move. If this happens, "Mersham" will be able to petition the High Court, while at the same time they are already fighting the delegitimization of the Medical Association.

But even if the outline is launched, the holes in it may deepen the existing difficulty in the system

Merav Cohen

13/09/2022

Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 5:01 p.m. Updated: 5:38 p.m.

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Hundreds of interns demonstrate on the stage in Tel Aviv in protest of the length of the shifts (Walla system)

After two long weeks of feverish discussions, last night (Monday) an agreement was signed with the interns in which Prime Minister Lapid instructed the Treasury to immediately transfer the 66 million shekels in order to shorten the shifts to 16 hours.

This, backed up by the opinion of the legal advisor to the government which states that there is no legal impediment to transfer the money during an election period since the money was allocated during the tenure of the permanent government.

The interns have been waiting for the requested decision for half a year, when the outline was supposed to begin in April, but the objections of the Physicians' Association, the General Health Insurance Fund and the Treasury prevented progress.

When the government fell, the state asked the Labor Court to postpone the implementation of the outline until September 2023. At this stage, it seemed that the scroll was closed on the outline, but the interns did not stop and continued to fight for what they deserved and were promised.

This is another victory for the interns, because in the last two months they were asked by the Minister of Health Horvitz to compromise on a reduction of 22 hours, in order to rake in an image of victory in the period leading up to the election campaign.

It was a risky bet for the interns, who knew they could risk everything - instead of settling for the bird they had.

will not pay a price.

Lapid (photo: official website, bar association communication)

Protest of the interns in Tel Aviv, August (photo: official website, the organization of the interns Mersham)

On the other hand, the money that was transferred has already been used from the moment the budget was approved.

There is no new fundraising here or finding a special budget source.

The step revealed once again the power of the finance people in relation to the elected officials, when Horowitz stands in front of them - a minister without significant political power.

And so, the Treasury managed to reject a signed decision by three ministers, with the Minister of Finance trying to go under the radar and not force the agreement he himself signed on the people of his office.

Now, if the treasury does not transfer the money again, the heads of the specialist organization "Marsham" will be able to petition the High Court and demand the implementation of the outline, since there is no legal impediment. "Only" demanding that they transfer the funds is a weak point. In fact, Lapid transfers the responsibility from him to the court. He gave the order, and if the Treasury does not comply with it - it is again the interns who embark on a legal battle. Thus, Lapid emerges as a benevolent leader in the run-up to the elections, but Leaving the hard work to the experts.

And this is not the only war left for the interns, because the Medical Association did not say the last word for it either.

In an angry letter sent last night to the Prime Minister, they claimed that Lapid surrendered to the interns because of the elections.

"We are aware of the work that the State of Israel is in during an election period, for all that is implied, and ask that the sense of responsibility and common sense prevail over all other considerations," they wrote.

This morning the organization's secretariat met to calculate the next steps.

More in Walla!

Lapid ordered the transfer of millions to shorten shifts - contrary to the position of the Histadrut of the Doctors

To the full article

weak minister

Horowitz (Photo: Reuven Castro)

The move also opens the possibility of going back in case the plan fails.

Soroka Hospital (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Lapid did not respond to the opposition of the Medical Association, and in fact established facts on the ground.

Will it work for the benefit of the interns or will it leave them behind in this segment as well - only time will tell.

The Histadrut for its part is going to war with all the ammunition it has in its possession against the government.

Their main ammunition is the claim that Lapid and Economy Minister Orna Barbibai abandoned the periphery.

The new annex that the minister signed states that any hospital that wants to start with the specialization abbreviation, even if it is a strong and large hospital from the periphery, is welcome to do so.

The interns welcome this because these hospitals have long waiting lists of interns, while in the periphery there are dozens of unmanned standards that could bring down the plan.

What will happen if the outline succeeds in the center but fails in the periphery?

Will Lapid have to pay the political or professional price?

probably not.

The move also opens up the possibility of going back in case the plan fails, because it will probably succeed in the center.

And so the prime minister receives full credit, and possibly rightfully so - since no prime minister before him has gone into the thick of things on this issue, and all his predecessors stayed away from him like a hot potato.

However, its failures could make it more difficult for the already starved healthcare system in an unprecedented way, which is still licking its wounds from the corona crisis.

Finally, one cannot help but admire and be impressed by the determination of the interns.

They stand against the strongest forces and do not surrender, and today it can already be said that they have the upper hand.

Among themselves, they talk about the whole difficult road in conversations as if it were the legacy of a battle, and recall the difficult and discouraging moments.

Each time there was someone else who managed to lift the group and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

There is still a long way to go until the blueprint is implemented in the field, but there are already department managers or deputies who took part in the struggle in 2011.

They will grow within the system and demand the abbreviation as having authority and power, so even if it takes more time - finally the struggle will succeed.

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• Nitzan Horowitz