Despite late efforts, Hadassah doctors strike to go ahead
"The management of Hadassah has appealed the decision of the regional labor court to the national labor court," the hospital said in a statement.
By EYTAN HALONUpdated: FEBRUARY 12, 2019 06:36Maternity ward Hadassah hospital(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman made an unannounced visit to Hadassah University Medical Center in Ein Kerem on Monday in a last-ditch effort to prevent a doctors strike called for Tuesday.According to The Jerusalem Post’s sister publication Maariv, Litzman made a personal request to doctors not to strike, and vowed to ensure that the hospital would start absorbing new trainee doctors within two months, putting an end to the issue behind the strike action.Should the strike go ahead, both Hadassah hospitals in Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus will operate on the basis of their reduced Shabbat and festival staff framework beginning Tuesday at 6 a.m.Last week, the Israel Medical Association informed the director-general of Hadassah Medical Organization, Prof. Zeev Rotshtein, that “in the wake of harmful and destructive measures,” including stopping the absorption of new doctors, medical staff would go on strike from Sunday for an unlimited period of time.The strike was stopped at the last minute, however, after hospital management received a labor court injunction preventing the walkout until after the court had the opportunity to discuss the matter at hand.On Sunday evening, the Jerusalem Labor Court rejected Hadassah’s application for an injunction, and held that the strike could commence at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, giving the hospital ample time to prepare accordingly. The hospital has appealed the decision to the national labor court.“The management of Hadassah has appealed the decision of the regional labor court to the national labor court,” the hospital said in a statement.“Hadassah will continue to do everything it can in order to prevent an unnecessary strike for no reason that could harm its patients.”
