Presenting a report to a Knesset committee on Wednesday marking the international day addressing preemie babies, authorities in Israel report one in three preemie infants in Israeli hospitals contract some type of infection during their hospitalization.
A meeting of the Knesset Labor, Welfare & Health Committee, chaired by MK Chaim Katz, heard the facts presented as a result of MK (Yisrael Beitenu) Orli Levi-Abukasis and a non-profit working on behalf of preemies, it was learned 30% of preemies are hit with a respiratory infection, a number that is 50% higher than the average in western nations.
Physicians blame the severe manpower shortage, there are a declining number of physicians opting to enter this specialty field of medicine, and therefore, there is a lack of qualified personnel on hand. Prof. Shaul Daulberg, who represents the nation’s neonatologists, explains in periphery areas, the situation is “catastrophic”. He explains some preemie wards operate with under the reality of a constant manpower shortage, and at present, “there is no way to persuade neonatologists to work in medical facilities in the north of south”.
Oren Melberg, who runs the Lahav organization lobbying on behalf of preemies, warns if the situation does not change, the current reality will contribute to increase preemie mortality.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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3 Responses
Refuah Shelayma!
It’s not the lack of doctors that causes problems. The key personnel in any intensive care unit are the nurses. They do the actual care and they are the ones who have the opportunity to observe the patient’s condition and changes in it. They are the ones who must tell the doctor what is going on so that the doctor can make the right decisions.
You can have as many doctors as you want, but if you don’t have enough good nursing staff, you are going to have problems and unnecessary deaths.
Please families that are expecting consider the option a qualified midwife monitoring the pregnancy. Maybe the number of preemie babies might be reduced.