2,500 interns and medical students demonstrated against the duration of 26 hour shifts in hospitals

2,500 interns and medical students demonstrated in the Habima Square in Tel Aviv against reducing the duration of 26 hours in hospitals - as was the case before the Corona crisis. During the crisis, the shifts were cut to 12 hours, and now the interns are demanding that the new situation be maintained: "Our sanity is back."
In a demonstration under the heading "No more 26," the protesters read, among other things: "The public has long understood this fatigue" and "Do not go back and do not return for 26 hours."
Chairman of the Prescription Internship Organization, Dr. Ray Beaton, said in a demonstration: "While we were behind, most countries around the world managed to shorten their shifts to eight to 14 hours. These appointments hurt us and our health. Our interns experience more depression "You deserve better, more empathetic, and more compassionate medicine. For some reason, it seems logical that an intern who doesn't sleep for 20 hours should analyze people." She added: "If we need to get out of the hospital boundaries."
The spread of the corona virus in Israel has required the health system in general, and the hospitals in particular, to adapt to a new reality of separating medical staff for fear of infection. One of the results of this move was a 12-hour shift - a significant reduction over the previous 26-hour shift. Because of the improvement in the situation in Israel, hospitals are gradually returning to the long queues, with the exception of the Corona divisions, where the shortened shifts are kept.
The interns said, "During the Corona crisis, we worked within a sane 12-hour job, and we're not ready to step back. In these queues, we restored our sanity and health. We were also more vigilant and provided better medical care - as we wanted to give when we chose this profession in the first place."
Internship struggles to shorten shifts have recently arisen in hospitals led by the Internship Specialist organization. After several protest rallies in the hospitals in recent weeks, even in the evening demonstration in the Habima Square in Tel Aviv, the interns are calling for shortening the rosters. "For years, we were told that it was impossible to shorten rosters, and here within a moment the system was able to do so," reads an invitation to protest. Interns are also considering taking legal action against the length of the shifts.
The Chairman of the Medical Association, Prof. Zion Hagai, said: "I understand the interns very much and intend to continue to lead the deep examination process of the issue of on-call time in collaboration with the interns and internships forum, department managers, trade unions and the scientific council."
He said, "We will not ignore the complexities for the system, but we will certainly not ignore the true and correct need to produce a work format that will better balance professional needs and duration. I promised as soon as I entered the position that this issue would be on the negotiating table and I certainly intend to do so within the negotiations. In front of employers. I will soon announce more steps we intend to take, and I am convinced that the entire medical community will be behind us - experts and interns, senior executives.