Medica Tel Aviv Partially Reopens Surgical Operations After Serious Deficiencies

The private medical center Medica Tel Aviv in Ramat Hachayal, which was shut down four weeks ago due to severe deficiencies, will resume surgical activities, but only partially. The Ministry of Health announced Monday that the district health physician for Tel Aviv has decided to partially lift the closure order, allowing only "basket" surgeries, meaning those included in the national health basket, to proceed. Surgeries in the aesthetic field remain prohibited. According to the ministry's announcement, the decision was made after significant deficiencies were rectified and Medica Tel Aviv committed to further corrective actions. The announcement did not detail which deficiencies were fixed or what further actions are required, nor did it specify if or when aesthetic surgeries would be permitted again.

The Ministry of Health stated, "The Ministry of Health views any deviation from the rules and authorities designed to ensure safe medical treatment with severity, and will act with all the tools at its disposal to protect patients' health and safety." Last week, the CEO of Medica Tel Aviv, Anat Nussbaum, announced her resignation, and she was replaced by Dr. Eitan Hai-Am, a former Director-General of the Ministry of Health, who was appointed to lead the efforts to resume operations.

Medica Tel Aviv was initially closed on September 28th by the district health physician following a surprise inspection by the Ministry of Health that uncovered serious findings. These included nursing staff performing surgical procedures without legal authority, anesthesiologists in two operating rooms not being qualified specialists, the medical director being absent, and her replacement lacking the necessary expertise. A critical basic safety procedure, the surgical count to ensure no instruments are left in the patient, was falsely recorded as completed before the surgery ended. The inspection also found improper use of cocaine solution, a narcotic drug, and severe deficiencies in the handling of anesthetic drugs, violating infection prevention guidelines. Procedures were performed in rooms designated for minor surgery that were not in accordance with the facility's registration certificate. The Ministry of Health concluded that the overall conduct indicated a systemic failure and a danger to patient health.

Medica Tel Aviv is part of the Medica network, co-owned by the Meuhedet (34%) and Leumit (20%) health funds, along with private investors including insurance companies Harel and The Phoenix. This is not the first time this year the Ministry of Health has halted surgical activity within the network; in July, operations at Medica Rafael in Tel Aviv were stopped due to issues with instrument sterilization, sterile supply systems, and staffing shortages, though the order was partially lifted in early August. The Ramat Hachayal center operated under agreements with supplementary insurance from all health funds and with insurance companies, and also received publicly funded patients. The closure forced patients with scheduled surgeries or appointments to find alternative arrangements.