Israeli healthcare workers launched a 24-hour general strike on Monday morning in protest of recent severe incidents of violence against healthcare workers.

Just two of the most recent incidents of violence include the severe beatings of a pediatrician at Soroka Medical Center and a gynecologist at a community clinic in Ramle.

The Israel Medical Association (IMA) announced that “despite the increasing violence and the number of violent incidents, employers and the Health Ministry have failed to do enough to eradicate those cases of violence.”

“Unfortunately, security guards were not increased to protect medical teams, more severe consequences were not implemented, reporting systems were not implemented to prevent incidents of violence, and nothing was done to maintain the safety of the doctors.”

“We will continue to work to eradicate violence against doctors and healthcare workers until the employers and the Health Ministry fulfill their duty to ensure the existence of an appropriate and safe work environment, including placing police officers and security guards in medical institutions, expanding their powers, implementing more severe consequences, amending legal regulations, working toward the implementation of systems for reporting and preventing violent incidents and working toward bringing the violent perpetrators to justice.”

The strike includes general, geriatric, psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals throughout the country as well as community clinics and health bureaus in government offices.

During the day, all hospitals will work in “Shabbat mode,” and outpatient and walk-in clinics will be closed. However, the IMA clarified that urgent dialysis services, intensive care, emergency rooms, delivery rooms, premature deliveries, and oncology treatments will continue to operate during the strike.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)