The Cabinet has approved the deployment of police at every public hospital in the country.
The decision, announced Sunday, follows a wave of violence that has taken place in several hospitals across the country.
אישרנו עכשיו בממשלה את התכנית שלי להצבת עמדות שיטור בבתי חולים בכל הארץ. את האלימות כלפי הצוותים הרפואיים צריך למגר ומהר – וזה בדיוק מה שאנחנו עושים. אפס סובלנות לאלימות בבתי החולים. pic.twitter.com/VbzAxOHwbG
— Nitzan Horowitz نيتسان هوروفيتس ניצן הורוביץ (@NitzanHorowitz) May 29, 2022
“We’ve just approved my plan to place police stations in hospitals across the country,” Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz tweeted. “The violence that is being directed at medical teams must be stamped out and quickly — and that is exactly what we’re doing.
“Zero tolerance for violence in hospitals.”
Medical personnel have been attacked and beaten by family members, friends and in some cases even by patients themselves. One of the most severe cases, several weeks ago, was that of a Jerusalem hospital in which medical staff were attacked by the family of a patient who had died. The attackers also wrecked the intensive care unit.
The plan, budgeted at an annual NIS 20 million, calls for a permanent police presence in 28 public hospitals and medical centers, and will include 48 designated personnel.
However, police said they can only begin to implement the plan sometime after the first of next year.
