Israel doctors go on strike over violence in hospital

Tel Aviv [Israel], May 19 (ANI/Xinhua): Israel's hospital doctors launched a 24-hour warning strike on Thursday morning, said the Israeli Medical Association (IMA), which represents about 95 percent of the doctors in the country.
The doctors are protesting against recent violent incidents experienced by medical staff in hospitals, and decided to go on strike following a serious incident that took place at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem on Monday.
Dozens of family members of a patient who died at the hospital attacked the medical staff and vandalized the place on Monday, local media reported.
The IMA said that the strike includes all public hospitals and clinics in Israel, with only life-saving treatments and surgeries to be performed.
The doctors urge to enhance security in hospitals, including the placement of police points in all emergency rooms, applying security technologies, and revising laws so that attacking medical staff will not be different from attacking police officers, the IMA noted.
Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said he had demanded Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to take action so offenders who riot in health institutions would be prosecuted.
"Anyone who acts violently towards a doctor or a nurse harms everyone's health. There will be zero tolerance for violence in our health system," he added. (ANI/Xinhua)