Health Minister Moshe Arbel successfully obtained a restraining order from the Labor Court, putting an end to the doctors’ strike led by the Medical Association. The strike was organized in protest of the cancellation of the reasonableness clause. The court acknowledged the doctors’ right to protest but noted that the strike had already exceeded the agreed two-hour duration.
The court’s decision emphasized the need for an immediate return to work in order to minimize any harm to patients. The strike, which lasted over seven hours, affected various medical institutions, including health bureaus, school doctors, and doctors working in government offices. The doctors’ committees collaborated with department heads to ensure coverage for Sabbath work and to lighten the workload by augmenting the duty and on-call doctors.
In the request for an injunction against the strike, it was stated that the disruption caused by the strike would significantly impact treatments and procedures scheduled in hospitals. The lack of sufficient notice also meant that patients requiring long-planned treatments would be disproportionately affected.
The decision by the Labor Court, reached on Monday, was welcomed by Health Minister Moshe Arbel. It remains to be seen whether the Medical Association will challenge the decision or engage in further negotiations with the government regarding the cancellation of the reasonableness clause.