Israel Health Ministry Orders Immediate Closure of Medica Hospital

The Ministry of Health issued an immediate closure order on Monday evening for the Medica Hospital on HaBarzel Street in Tel Aviv, following a surprise inspection that revealed nursing staff performing surgical procedures instead of physicians.

The ministry stated that the surprise inspection uncovered a series of severe findings concerning operating room procedures and patient safety. Among other things, medical procedures were performed in violation of professional authorities and mandatory guidelines, alongside additional deficiencies in medical conduct and work processes. The overall findings point to a systemic failure in the hospital's management and an immediate, severe hazard to patients' health and safety.

According to the Ministry of Health, all involved parties, including the management of the Medica network, its owners, and the board of directors, will be summoned for a hearing. Simultaneously, the ministry is considering personal actions against individuals found to have performed procedures outside their professional authority.

This is not the first instance of severe deficiencies. In July, a surprise inspection was conducted at Medica Raphael, leading the ministry to order an immediate halt to operating room activities there. Operations at Medica Raphael were gradually resumed only after deficiencies were corrected and management committed to meeting licensing conditions.