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Hospitals across Israel are grappling with extreme overcrowding as internal medicine departments, emergency rooms, and pediatric wards reach their maximum capacity, according to recent data from Maariv.
Medical centers in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, and beyond are struggling to manage the influx of patients, particularly those suffering from severe respiratory infections like influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and pneumococcal bacteria.
At Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, internal medicine wards are operating at over 100% capacity, while the emergency rooms are functioning at an alarming 200% capacity.
Similarly, Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva reports a 116% occupancy in its internal medicine wards, with other hospitals such as Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera and Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv at 110%.
The situation is dire at many other hospitals, including Assaf Harofeh, Meir in Kfar Saba, and Sheba Medical Center, where internal medicine departments are fully occupied.
As a result, patients have been placed in hallways and, in some cases, even in hospital cafeterias. Emergency room patients are often forced to wait for over 10 hours before a bed becomes available in an internal medicine ward.
The critical shortage of space is exacerbated by the ongoing winter surge, with more patients arriving daily. “We are collapsing under the pressure and feeling helpless toward our patients,” said a resident doctor working in a central Israel internal medicine department.
“Staffing levels are critically low, and some doctors are on reserve military duty, others are sick themselves, or home taking care of sick children. We have no space to admit patients, and we’re just praying we don’t make mistakes under these impossible conditions.”
A significant number of hospitalized patients are suffering from respiratory infections that require advanced treatment.
Some of these critically ill patients have deteriorated to the point of needing ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machines, which temporarily take over the function of the heart and lungs.
Despite the current crisis, the Health Ministry reports that Israel has not yet reached the peak of the winter illness season.
Surveillance data indicates a sharp rise in cases, though infection rates are still about 60% of what was observed during last winter’s peak, suggesting the worst is yet to come.
The low vaccination rates for influenza, currently at only 30%, are adding to the strain on the healthcare system.
“We do everything we can to ensure the patients receive the best care, but the load is immense,” said Alona Agratchev, Director of Nursing for the Internal Medicine Division at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center.
“It’s emotionally difficult seeing elderly patients in hallways. It’s heartbreaking because they could be my mother or my neighbor.”
Agratchev and other healthcare professionals are urging the public to take preventive measures. “Don’t go to work or school if you’re sick, don’t wait until your condition worsens, and most importantly, get vaccinated for flu and other recommended vaccines,” she advised.
This ongoing crisis highlights the severe pressure on Israel’s healthcare system, particularly during the winter months, when hospital resources are stretched thin.
The combination of overcrowding, staffing shortages, and low vaccination rates poses a significant challenge, not only to healthcare providers but also to the patients who are affected by these conditions.