The medical staff of Assaf HaRofeh hospital went on strike for two hours on Thursday after an emergency room physician was physically attacked the night before. The doctor was treating a young man from Lod who complained of severe stomach pains when the man’s brother threw the doctor violently to the floor and began cursing him. The brothers complained that the doctor was not providing the proper treatment. The sick brother left his hospital bed and began throwing objects at passersby.
Both brothers were later arrested and will face charges. Dr. Yoram Balsar, head of the Israel Medical Association, condemned the attack and expressed disappointment that the Knesset had rejected a proposal from MK Chaim Oron on Wednesday that would have set a minimum six-month jail term for anyone who attacks a medical care provider.