The Ministry of Health has published the procedure defining that, in light of the security situation, low-risk mothers and newborns will be discharged from the hospital to their homes after 12 hours.
Discharge will be carried out according to the following principles: Approval by a neonatologist and gynecologist after examining the mother and newborn, and performing a medical examination of the newborn and clarifying the mother’s condition on the second day of the newborn’s life. If the examination cannot be guaranteed, discharge from the hospital will not be carried out.
The procedure also defines the responsibility of the health bureaus for continuous screening tests of newborns after 36 hours, the responsibility of the hospital for completing a hearing screening within 30 days, as well as the obligation to complete other actions if these have not been performed: Vaccinations – the responsibility of the Tipat Halav clinics, medical examination – the responsibility of the HMO.
As part of the early discharge, information about newborns who were discharged early from the hospital will be transferred to representatives of the HMO and the health bureau, in accordance with the list that is transferred from the hospital to the HMO prior to discharge.
Head of the General Medicine Division at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hager Mizrahi: “As has been done and according to advance preparations, from the first day of the operation, the Ministry of Health continues to adjust the response in the healthcare system according to the changing outline and according to the needs of the campaign, while reducing the number of hospitalized patients and making diversions where possible”.
Head of Public Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis: “The early release of low-risk mothers and newborns – to the extent possible and in accordance with the principles that have been defined – is carried out while ensuring continuity of care even after discharge from the hospital – for both the mother and the newborn – which will ensure them a complete and proper envelope in the community as well”.
In Israel, in routine times, the discharge policy for mothers and newborns is discharge from hospitalization at least 48 hours after birth. During hospitalization, the newborn’s condition, his level of alertness, ensuring proper breastfeeding and proper bowel and bladder function, and the development of complications that require immediate treatment, such as severe jaundice and extreme dehydration, are all monitored. Screening tests are also performed. All of this will be addressed in the current outline, which will be reviewed in accordance with developments in the field and the changing guidelines.