Medical residents reject Netanyahu's offer; set to resign

Health system crisis reaches boiling point as over 700 residents poise to tender resignations

Neri Brener|Published: 10.05.11 , 14:55

The medical residents announced Wednesday that their plans to stage a mass resignation are still in effect. The heads of the residents' protest met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, but decided to refuse his request to delay the move until after the High Holidays.

Residents at the Sourasky Medical Center in said that their decision was unanimous, as was that of their peers at the Rambam and Chaim Sheba medical centers and Bnei Zion Hospital.

The medical residents' decision was crafted so not to violate a Labor Court injunction issued against their resignation. The writ ordered a 48-hour stay and once it elapses, the parties will have to present their case to the court once more, before it decides on whether to issue new injunctions.

"So far, no one has offered us anything," Dr. Ronen Bar-Yosef, a resident at Rambam, told Ynet. "We've heard our share of promises, but none of them offered anything concrete.

"We want a written, obligating agreement and I'm sure that once we are provided with that, we will reconvene. We are all reasonable people."

The stalemate in negotiations means that on Thursday, 117 of Rambam's residents will resign, as will 100 of Sheba's residents and 35 of their Bnei Zion colleagues. Nationwide, 734 residents are expected to tender their resignations on Thursday.

Despite the difficulties, the residents are expected to continue their negotiations with the Health Ministry and the Israel Medical Association, in yet another attempt to broker an agreement which could be presented to the court.