Ministry of Health report reveals: Level of infections in hospitals – the situation in Haifa

(haipo) – A new report published on Sunday, April 27.4.2025, XNUMX, by the National Infection Prevention Unit at the Ministry of Health, presents data on infection levels in hospitals across the country, including hospitals in Haifa.

The data shows that infections acquired during hospitalization pose a significant challenge, potentially leading to loss of life and serious harm to patients' quality of life.
Where are the Haifa hospitals located?

Ranking of hospitals in Haifa

In a comparative perspective, the three largest medical centers in Haifa – Rambam, Bnei Zion and Carmel – are ranked in different positions according to key infection indicators, including the rate of acquired bacteremia (blood infections) from common and resistant alert bacteria.

• Rambam, the largest medical center in the region, exhibited average to high performance in various indicators. However, in the area of ​​bacteremia from resistant bacteria, Rambam ranked in the middle of the national table, with an infection rate that could be improved.
• Children of Zion, A smaller hospital exhibited higher than average infection rates in several measures, particularly in infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as CRAB and MRSA.
• Carmel Hospital Clalit Health Services, which often excels in other quality indicators, suffered from a significant rate of acquired infections last year, especially bloodstream infections from carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPE) bacteria.

What does the data mean?

Hospital-acquired infections, especially bloodstream infections from resistant bacteria, are not only an indicator of the quality of hospital care, but also a real risk to patients' lives. According to the report, acquired bacteremia leads to an average loss of ten years of potential life, and is responsible for approximately 40% of fatal hospital-acquired infections.

The National Infection Prevention Unit emphasizes that "through targeted preventive actions, the rate of infection cases can be significantly reduced, especially in internal medicine departments, where a high concentration of bacteremia cases has been recorded."

Gaps in infection prevention and control

The report also states: Hospitals that rank highest are those with aggressive infection prevention programs, rigorous disinfection, and maintenance of sterile inpatient procedures. In contrast, institutions with gaps in infection prevention and control experience higher rates of serious infections.

The Ministry of Health is expected to continue to closely monitor the implementation of the recommendations in hospitals, and to require infrastructural improvements, strengthening of infection prevention teams and strict adherence to processes. For residents of Haifa and the region, the data is a reminder of the importance of making an informed choice of a medical institution, but also a call to action from the public: to demand transparency, quality and safety when receiving medical care.