Medical residents delay threatened resignations: Negotiators making ‘serious effort’

Medical residents threatening mass resignation over their work conditions said Monday they have delayed the move for a second time in four days, as negotiations continue between the Health Ministry and the treasury.

Mirsham, which represents medical residents in Israel, has been lobbying the Health Ministry to reduce shifts from 26 hours to 16-18, saying that the long shifts are a danger to both the medical professionals and the patients.

Last week, Mirsham said it was delaying the resignation plans until September 12, citing progress in negotiations with government officials.

But on Monday, the union reportedly said it was again pushing off the resignations “out of a desire to give all those involved [in negotiations] a chance — we believe these are serious efforts,” Hebrew-language media reported.

Mirsham will announce on Tuesday a new date for its ultimatum.

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, who has backed the residents’ demands, placed blame at the door of the Finance Ministry.

“We reached an agreement, these things were publicized, they were budgeted for in a detailed way with the specific figures. These weren’t just words in the air,” Horowitz told Army Radio. “The treasury took a step backward.”

Horowitz charged that the finance officials view the public as a “burden.”

“They think that every shekel spent on public education or health is a waste. This is an approach that is totally destructive to Israeli society in my view,” he said.

Economy Minister Orna Barbivai told Army Radio that she believed the medical residents were “fighting a righteous battle,” and should work no more than 18 hours at a time.

“I really hope for a breakthrough regarding an agreement. We accept the outline in principle,” Barbivai said.

In August, hundreds of medical residents across the country submitted letters of resignation due to the long-running dispute over lengthy shift hours.

While the government had originally agreed to shorten shifts by April this year, a July announcement said that the change would be pushed off until September 2023, citing procedural problems caused by the upcoming elections.

Implementing the framework agreed between the treasury and the residents will require approving more doctor positions nationwide — something requiring changes in regulations that can’t be made while the Knesset is in recess.

Until 2000, residents worked 36-hour shifts and sometimes more. That year, an agreement was signed to reduce the shifts to 26 hours, with a two-hour break.

In 2012, following appeals to reduce the hours again, the government said they could not work more than 71.5 hours in a week. But despite the new regulations, most hospitals have not implemented them.