In the midst of the Corona crisis, hospitals in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bnei Brak have announced that they will cancel non-urgent surgeries and outpatient clinics, and from Wednesday they will move to an emergency mode • Managers warn of economic collapse:
Corona Department at the Gates of Justice
Photography:
Efrat Eshel
In the midst of the Corona crisis - hospitals in an emergency only: the
directors of the public hospitals Shaare Zedek, Hadassah, Laniado, Maayan Hayeshua and the three hospitals in Nazareth are intensifying the struggle against the Treasury.
Hospital administrators have announced that from next week they will move to emergency functioning and cancel all surgeries that are not defined as urgent.
"Despite our warning of an economic collapse and a move to an emergency, the Ministry of Finance has not yet begun negotiations with us to resolve the crisis," a statement from hospital administrators said.
"As of Sunday, we will start canceling surgeries, and on Wednesday, the public hospitals in Israel will go into emergency mode only, no treatments that are not within the scope of mental supervision will be given and all outpatient clinics will be canceled.
We have reached a state of emergency, this is a true alarm, public hospitals are in danger of death.
In a few weeks there will be no hospitals to save.
The Ministry of Finance needs to open its heart and pocket, and send ammunition to the battlefield. "
"Our emergency stock has dropped below the red line"
Two days ago, the directors of the public hospitals staged a protest in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance in Jerusalem.
They claim they are on the verge of an economic collapse due to budgetary discrimination compared to government hospitals.
According to Laniado CEO Nadav Chen, “Public hospitals have been starving and deprived for many years.
The health care system sees us as a stepson of the system, an excess that can be starved, silenced and swept under the rug.
We managed to move forward despite the famine, but the corona plague devoured our last cards.
At the height of the third wave we have nowhere to pay our suppliers, Shulmanim.
"Our emergency stock has dropped below the red line," he said.
Shaare Zedek Medical Center Director, Prof. Ofer Marin: "We are going to fight with great distress.
I never thought I would have to talk about money and resources.
Instead of caring for the sick we should come day after day begging the Ministry of Finance for budgets.
We opened 2021 with the tongue out.
The seven hospitals that are here cannot finish the month.
If the situation does not change, we will see empty beds next Wednesday. "
Hadassah CEO Prof. Zeev Rothstein: "We reached a line that has not been red for a long time, we crossed it a long time ago. How can it be that the State of Israel is at war, and the soldiers at the front, teams, are sent to battle without resources? We have no ability to pay them at the end of the month. "This situation is not perceived. It is just a bad dream. Hadassah is flooded with patients, as of this morning it is treating 140 Corona patients, and I have nowhere to pay wages to my employees. This saga must stop."
The director of the Holy Family Hospital in Nazareth, Dr. Ibrahim Harbji: “We have no more income.
HMOs are suffocating us and the Ministry of Finance is not helping.
It is impossible to wage war without ammunition.
"The Prime Minister, the Ministers of Finance and Health - help us, we are unable to breathe anymore."
The director of the English Hospital in Nazareth, Prof. Fahed Hakim: "The word shame is not big enough to express what is happening here. May the Minister of Finance be ashamed, you suffocated us. I am ashamed to be the director of a hospital in Israel today. I have no way to pay my antibiotic suppliers today. "Aware of the situation, they agree with us, but do nothing. We just demand equality."