Doctors’ strikes reappear as negotiations go nowhere

Hospitals nationwide to go on strike as part of ongoing sanctions over wage contracts and reorganization of public health system.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
hospital 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
hospital 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
A general strike that will put all public hospitals, including outpatient clinics, on a restricted hospital schedule will be held around the country on Tuesday, the Israel Medical Association announced, as part of its ongoing sanctions over a new wage contract and reorganization of the public health system.
On Wednesday, a day of sanctions in some Clalit Health Services and Kupat Holim Leumit community clinics – newly announced by the IMA on Monday – will be held. Clalit clinics of the Sharon/Shomron District will be closed in Ra’anana, Herzliya, Kfar Saba, Netanya, Hadera-South, Beersheba, Kiryat Gat, Netivot, Ashkelon and Sderot. In addition, Leumit Jerusalem District community health clinics will be shut down on Wednesday.
RELATED:IMA claims ‘incitement against doctors’ by TreasuryDoctors’ sanctions set to return over next 2 weeks
On Thursday, the outpatient clinics in hospitals south of Tel Aviv plus the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center will be shut down.
On Sunday, July 8, a conference on pathology will be attended by all the country’s pathologists (who examine biopsies for cancer and other disease). As a result, during the conference – the IMA said – operations will be minimized in all the medical centers during that time.
No sanctions will be held on Memorial Day for the Fallen and on Independence Day.
On Thursday next week, all the outpatient clinics will be closed in all public hospitals north of Tel Aviv and at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.