From the Liveblog of
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Health Ministry says all elective medical services cancelled in south, center hospitals on Sunday
Renee Ghert-Zand is the health reporter and a feature writer for The Times of Israel.
In light of the high number of injuries due to the war, the Health Ministry announces that all ambulatory and elective medical services will be canceled on Sunday at hospitals within 80 km of the Gaza border. Well-baby clinics will also be closed within that area.
Some hospitals in the center of the country, including Hadassah in Jerusalem and Meir in Kfar Saba, have also announced that they will only accept patients in need of urgent medical care.
Hospitals throughout the country will continue to provide critical and timely care, such as oncological and hematological treatments, dialysis, in vitro fertilization treatment, and emergency cardiological procedures.
If patients are scheduled for a hospital procedure or clinic visit on Monday, they should double-check with the hospital whether they should come in or not.
The Meuhedet health maintenance organization has asked its members to seek service from their primary physicians via hybrid (online) medicine appointments as much as possible.
All medical system employees have been ordered to cancel plans to travel outside the country, and all medical staff currently outside Israel have been asked to return.
