A day after the chilling testimonies of surgical interns recounting 36-hour shifts that cost the lives of patients , Minister of Health Yakov Litzman came out in support of them on Thursday. "The medical interns are right," he said, and stated the responsible party for rectifying the situation is the Israel Medical Association (IMA).

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"I read the medical interns' testimonies, and I understand their difficulties. I am ready to meet and speak with them," Litzman said, following the revelations in Yedioth Ahronoth, Ynet's sister publication. As early as 2011, Litzman supported the agreement that limited the interns' shift lengths to no more than 18 hours.

Medical interns. Protesting dangerously long shifts. (Photo: Dana Kopel)

"I think that they're right, but I can't change the situation because of an existing agreement signed by the Israel Medical Association, which is the doctors' representative body to the treasury, and it cannot be modified until 2020."

Litzman expressed that he would like to do more: "If it were up to me, I would change it today. I demanded this in the past, and I still think this today. Nobody can say that working 26 hours a day is normal. I'm the first that thought that there needs to be a change."

The IMA, on the other, claim that it is they who really support the interns' struggle. "We believe that everything must be done to ease the shift burden and improve the interns' quality of life, first and foremost without damaging their professional training, quality of treatment and their salaries,” said IMA Chairperson, Dr. Leonid Eidelman. “The collective agreement determined a pilot path that must be implemented, and for that we need to provide openings, and not harm the intern’s salaries.”

Minister of Health Yakov Litzman. Took the interns' side. (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

In contrast to Minister Litzman’s statements, the IMA believes that there is no connection between shortening shift times and reengaging in discussions about the 2011 agreement reached after that year’s doctor strike . The association claims that the solution is to provide more openings for hiring new staff, as opposed to merely shortening shift times, which could cause wages to go down. Litzman’s associates reject this idea, saying, “there will be no situation in which the doctors’ wages will be harmed. There’s a possibility of reaching a solution if the IMA is convinced that the shifts must be shortened.”

The protesting medical interns, who are in agreement with the Health Ministry, also blame the IMA for dealing in “techniques of agreements and legal proceedings,” thus risking human lives.

The Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for allocating budgets for Healthcare system openings, chose to remain silent on the matter.