Overcrowding Crisis in Israeli Hospitals: Patients in Hallways and Cafeterias

Israel's hospitals are facing an overwhelming crisis as medical centers report extreme overcrowding, with internal medicine departments, emergency rooms, and pediatric wards operating beyond capacity. According to data obtained by Maariv, Rambam Medical Center in Haifa is at more than 100% capacity in its internal medicine department, with its emergency room operating at a staggering 200%. Other hospitals, such as Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva and Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, also report over-capacity levels.

As a result, patients are being hospitalized in hallways, and in some cases, even in hospital cafeterias. This has created long delays, with patients sometimes waiting over 10 hours before a bed becomes available. A significant proportion of the patients have contracted influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and pneumococcal bacteria, which are causing severe respiratory infections and pneumonia. Many critically ill patients have required ECMO treatment to temporarily replace the function of their heart and lungs.

While hospitals are doing their best to handle the surge, staffing shortages and low vaccination rates are contributing to the strain. A resident doctor from a central Israel internal medicine department shared feelings of helplessness, with many doctors on military reserve duty or taking care of sick children. The doctor emphasized that the same crisis repeats every winter, leaving healthcare staff exhausted and demoralized. The overall infection rates are still rising, and the peak of the winter illnesses has not yet been reached. Health officials are concerned that low vaccination rates, standing at just 30%, will further exacerbate the crisis.

The situation is further compounded by an increase in complex cases among both younger and older patients. Hospital staff, like Alona Agratchev, Director of Nursing for the Internal Medicine Division at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center, are doing everything they can to provide quality care, but the burden is immense. Agratchev’s advice to the public includes staying home when sick, seeking treatment early, and getting vaccinated to reduce the strain on healthcare services.