From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Heads of public hospitals say they’re on verge of bankrupcy, urge government help
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleRenee Ghert-Zand is the health reporter and a feature writer for The Times of Israel.
The directors of Israel’s 11 public hospitals strongly warn the Health Ministry that they are on the verge of financial collapse.
In a letter the directors sent to Health Minister Moshe Arbel and Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov late last week, they said that the hospitals’ corporations will go bankrupt and treatment of patients will be impaired if something is not done immediately to shore up the hospitals’ budgets.
The hospital directors explained that the weakened new Israeli shekel (NIS) is a major reason for the budgetary woes. The hospitals purchase their supplies and medications in foreign currency, which has led to huge price increases. This in turn has caused budget deficits in the tens to hundreds of millions of shekels.
“We are being asked by the Health Ministry to curtail activity. The public hospital corporations will go bankrupt. The requested budgetary restrictions will lead to staff layoffs, lengthening of shifts (which are already long), and diminished quality of care,” the hospital directors’ letter stated.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, the directors, who are particularly concerned about the public medical centers in the periphery, are asking for an urgent meeting with Arbel and Bar Siman Tov to discuss possible solutions. It is reported that a similar request two months ago was ignored.
The Times of Israel Community.