Hundreds of doctors protest dangerously long work shifts
Junior doctors launch campaign against 26-hour work shifts. Potestors say fatigue prevents effective treatment; 'We feel like abandoned soldiers on the front lines'
“A doctor who works 26 hours in a row can't provide effective treatment to their patient,” said Dr. Erel Botzinski, chairman of the Mirsham organization who is directing the efforts to achieve labor improvements.
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As part of the campaign, young doctors are seeking to raise money from an organization called Headstart (a crowdfunding platform) to take the matter to the courts, politicians, and to the public
The slogan of the campaign - “26 hours’ duty kills the sick” - is not one which would be found in most developed countries. Indeed, in many European countries and North America, shifts last only between 12 and 16 hours
The results of a recent poll conducted by the Mirsham organization show the devastating consequences which these protracted working hours can have. Of the 600 trainee doctors polled, 52% said that they fell asleep at the wheel after a 26-hour shift while 25% said that they were involved in car accidents.
“We're angry because we feel like soldiers on the frontline who have been abandoned without equipment or supplies. Our 26 hour shifts claim lives. This is the medical service, it affects all of us,” Dr. Botzinski said.
Dr. Lior Tzvivan, a pediatric intern, recalled at the protest how “A few months ago I came home after a 26-hour shift in the hospital. It was the night of a Jewish holiday and loads of children were coming in to be treated. I didn’t sleep for one second. On the journey home which lasts 20 minutes to Rehovot, I fell asleep for a few seconds and crashed into a street post. Fortunately, I woke up a second before and managed to quickly break and to reduce the impact of the crash. But I didn’t manage to stop it completely.”
Sigal Shafran, a nurse, also attended the demonstration to show her support for the doctors. She praised the excellent medical services in Israel and lauded the doctors and nurses who she said are coveted all around the world. However, she emphasized that “we have to allow them to do what they're good at. Nobody can provide top quality care for 26 hours. I came to stand with them in their justified struggle.”
“I wouldn’t want a person who hasn't slept for 26 hours to make decisions about my health and about tests I need to undergo,” said Talya Peled Keenan who also came to show her solidarity with the protestors. “I know how I function after 12 hours and how the brain doesn’t function. We, the sick, pay with our health and sometimes with our lives,” she concluded.
