Medical interns' shifts at hospitals can be shortened to 16-18 hours as opposed to the current requirement of 26, according to the Committee for Shortening Interns' Shifts conclusions that were released on Thursday, Israeli media reported.
The Medical Association reportedly recommended four different models for shortening the shifts:
The 16/2 Weekday Model – the shift begins at 3 p.m. and ends at 9 a.m. the following morning. The intern on shift will not work the morning their shift begins.
The 18/30 Model – the shift begins at 3 p.m. and ends at 9 a.m. the following morning. Between each shift there will be a resting period of 30 hours.
The "Bridging Intern" Model – the shift begins at 9 p.m. and ends at 8 a.m. the following morning. The intern then stays to work until 12 p.m. In this model, the intern does not get a day of rest.
The Fourth Model – the existing model with slight adjustments to allow for more resting time within the shift.
These conclusions come after a year of debates within the committee.
It is important to note that at this time these are only recommendations and the journey to making them a reality is still long. However, these can act as a base from which the Knesset's committees can work off of in the future.
The Committee for Shortening Interns' Shifts was established in the light of multiple waves of the coronavirus pandemic, which proved to be something which Israel's medical community has argued about for years – the interns are overworked.
"I promised to make a significant difference in the work hours of doctors," said chairman of the Medical Association, Professor Zion Hagai.
However, the "Prescription" organization – which represents interns in the health system – was not impressed by the committee's recommendation. While they see progress in the recommendations, they reminded everyone that "the interns' fight is not over."