Starting tomorrow, public hospitals - with the exception of Hadassah - will reduce hospital admissions • The decision was made after negotiations with the Treasury to increase the budget ended without success
Public hospitals announced tonight (Saturday) that starting tomorrow, they will not accept ambulances that do not include life-saving cases, due to the refusal of the Ministry of Finance to negotiate an increase in their budget and due to the severe lack of resources.
Protesters protest against budget discrimination, Tuesday // Photo: Yoni Rickner
The announcement of the hospitals (Shaare Zedek, Laniado, Maayan Hayeshua and the three hospitals in Nazareth) comes after a meeting between the hospital directors and the Ministry of Finance on Thursday ended without results.
Hospital administrators sought to continue the negotiations, but finance officials refused.
"The current situation does not allow hospitals to purchase equipment, pay suppliers and operate hospitals properly," it said.
The principals called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Israel Katz to intervene immediately on the issue and bring the negotiations between the parties to an end.
Following the principals' appeal to MDA Director General Eli Bin, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Professor Hezi Levy, condemned their decision: "The directive you issued is invalid and does not comply with the Ministry of Health's procedures.
The evacuation of patients to you will continue as usual, along with continuing efforts to regulate budgetary issues. "
He added: "I am aware of the budgetary difficulties you are experiencing. The Minister of Health and I are dealing with the issue intensively with the Ministry of Finance, but we will not be able to accept a situation in which patients are used as a tool in negotiations."
As part of the hospitals 'protest, hundreds of doctors, nurses and medical staff demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on Tuesday in protest of the hospitals' economic situation.
