Seven hospitals warn of collapse as COVID-19 stats remain high
Doctors and nurses from seven hospitals across Israel staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Health on Sunday warning of a systemic collapse as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) numbers in Israel remained high.
Inside the Coronavirus Unit in Shaare Zedek Medical Centre in Jerusalem as the 4th COVID-19 wave driven by Delta variant is continuing to spread across Israel. Jerusalem, Aug 25, 2021. Photo by Shalev Shalom/TPS
The medical staff, including from Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Centre and Hadassah Medical Centre, warned that the hospitals are in “a life-threatening situation.”
They said that they have not received funds promised by Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz and that his conduct is “shameful and degrading the health system at the height of the corona crisis.”
“This is a severe failure of the Ministry of Health that impairs the functioning of the hospitals. The conduct of the Ministry of Health is the most dangerous variant – the fight will continue indefinitely,” they declared.
The medical staff in the seven hospitals have been on strike since last week and have been providing care only in life-threatening cases while refusing to admit new COVID-19 patients.
In the meantime, the COVID-19 stats in Israel remained very high, as the school system prepares for a full opening on Wednesday.
A very high 7.09% of tests done over the weekend returned positive.
A significant number of 726 patients are hospitalized in serious condition, of whom 149 are on life support.
Over 124,000 students are currently in quarantine, of whom about 34,000 are ill with the virus. Some 6,560 educational staff are in quarantine.
Israel expects a significant spike in infections once the school year begins.
The IDF published on Saturday night a list of new guidelines and restrictions following the increase in morbidity. There are 2,659 verified Corona cases in the IDF, including one case in serious condition.
Since the outbreak, 6,958 have died of the virus, including over 400 in the past month.
