Health Ministry Director Moshe Bar Siman Tov attempted to prevent a strike in the health system on Monday due to an uptick in violent incidents against medical staffs, but failed.
Bar Siman Tov sent a letter to the head of the Medical Union, Prof. Zion Hagay, stating: “We do not disagree about the need to protest, but the planned steps for a shutdown will harm the patients and their daily routines.” He added that the ministry is working to fight the phenomenon, “In light of our presence in the matter, I ask to refrain from these steps.
I and the heads of the Health Ministry are worriedly following every violent incident in the system. This phenomenon is severe and critically harms the health system, and we need to show zero tolerance toward it,” he added.
The Medical Union did not like the Health Ministry Director’s letter and answered: “Tomorrow we will have a warning strike for only 24 hours. We’ve had enough promises. We demand uncompromising security for the doctors of Israel. If our demands to improve the security for medical teams in hospitals and communities are not met within a rational time, we will exacerbate our steps.”
Beforehand the Health Ministry directorate sent a letter to all doctors in Israel in which it voiced support for the medical teams that face violence: “We are going through a complex and dangerous time where violence against medical teams has become a daily occurrence. The Health Ministry directorate stands at your side in fighting this unacceptable phenomenon”.
Despite the strike, emergency treatments such as emergency rooms, delivery rooms, ICUs, and more will continue to run. In every large city, one clinic will remain open.