Private hospital in Tel Aviv shut down over severe safety violations following surprise inspection

The Health Ministry ordered operations at the private Medica hospital in Tel Aviv's Ramat Hahayal neighborhood to cease until further notice on Monday after a surprise inspection conducted on Thursday uncovered a series of serious findings concerning operating-room practices and patient safety.

The district physician issued the order Monday evening after the inspection found deficiencies that the ministry said posed a serious and immediate danger to patients' health and safety.

All parties involved will also be summoned to a hearing regarding the practices identified during the inspection, including the management of the Medica network, its owners, and its board of directors.

At the same time, based on the inspection findings, the Health Ministry is considering taking individual action against those found to have performed procedures outside the scope of their professional authority.

Among the findings were cases in which medical procedures were carried out in violation of professional authorities and mandatory regulations, alongside additional deficiencies in medical practices and work processes.

Systemic failure in hospital operations, immediate danger to patients' health

Taken together, the findings indicate a systemic failure in the hospital's operations and a serious and immediate danger to patients' health and safety, according to the ministry.

The latest findings follow serious deficiencies discovered during a surprise inspection at Medica Raphael in July. Following that inspection, the Health Ministry ordered an immediate halt to operations in the facility's operating rooms.

Operations at Medica Raphael subsequently resumed gradually, subject to the correction of the deficiencies and commitments by management and the board of directors to comply with licensing requirements and cease deviations from the activities they were authorized to perform.