Mercy: Hospitals at 200% capacity
Major hospitals across the country are seeing record numbers of people, with many being at 200% capacity and waiting times approaching six hours; 'This is a catastrophe, and it isn't even winter yet,' says Deputy Director of Rambam Medical Center Dr. Mickey Halberthal.
At the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, the emergency room is at 170% capacity and waiting times are significantly longer than usual. The same trend is being presented at other hospitals such as the Bnai Zion Medical Center, also in Haifa, which is at 200% capacity.
At Sheba Medical Center, emergency room capacity has topped 200% in recent days. The same is true with Carmel Medical Center and Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
According to Dr. Mickey Halberthal, the deputy director of Rambam Medical Center, "This is a catastrophe, and it isn't even winter yet. We are calling on people to exercise judgment and to seek assistance from their healthcare providers and their clinics before going to the hospital."
