Hospital staff in Israel's periphery to get shorter shifts

After many months of bickering and strike threats, hospital interns and residents in Israel's periphery have finally reached an agreement with the Finance and Health Ministries and Clalit Healthcare Services over the shortening of shifts and salary increases.

The Israel Medical Association (IMA) unanimously approved the agreement of principles drawn up last night between the leadership of the IMA head Prof. Zion Hagay and the head of wages at the treasury Ephraim Malkin.

The young doctors’ shifts will be shortened from 26 to 21 hours in 10 hospitals in the North and South of the country and implemented gradually through next summer in most hospital departments, including in emergency, geriatrics, oncology, internal medicine and pediatrics.

The agreement will enable the launch of an outline for shortening the working day in hospitals in the periphery as early as Sunday, September 3, in accordance with a change in the required working and rest hours of the doctors in Israel.

The shortened schedule will be implemented as soon as next week, in accordance with the amendment to the general permit concerning the working and rest hours of the doctors in Israel.

According to the understanding, a payment of 300% will be granted, among other things, for a supplementary four-hour “quarter shift.” 

Israel Medical Association head: Significant process is 'underway'

Hagay said that a significant process is underway. “From the day I took office, this was a clear goal, but the condition for this was always maintaining the salary conditions of the doctors and the quality of medical care.”

Dr. Rey Biton, chairman of the Mirsham organization of interns and residents, however, was not very pleased. “This is not an outline of the shortening of shifts that we dreamed of.

"We fought for a much more significant shortening of shifts, but the change is beginning, and it will be impossible to stop this historic move. It would be appropriate for the Israeli government and the IMA to give more help to women doctors who also have families to care for.”