Member of Knesset Uri Maklev (Torah Judaism) today (Thursday) appealed to Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Minister of Economy Orna Barbibai to intervene in the antigen testing market, and set a regulated price for them.
This, following the publication in "Israel Today" that many citizens do not intend to buy the home tests due to their high price.
Alternatively, Maklev offers to open up the antigen testing market to competition with the aim of bringing down the price of home testing.
"A test kit costs more than NIS 50, so for one isolated family of several people, it costs several hundred shekels," said the MK. "Prices in Israel are expensive compared to the world.
If the public does not purchase tests because of their cost, the entire test layout will collapse. "
MK Maklev told Israel Today: "Unfortunately, the health considerations stem from the economic considerations.
Transfer a budget to Israel without budgeting for the corona issue.
Why should these tests be on the backs of citizens?
These are not luxuries, but essential products.
The state should subsidize the estimates or distribute them to the HMOs.
If it is not accessible, the public will not do tests.
The instructions are unclear and citizens generally refrain from reporting that they are ill.
We are facing a catastrophe. "
Health Minister Horowitz presented the new test outline: "The omicron wave requires a change in perception and adjustments"
Yaakov, a resident of the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem and a father of five, told Israel Today yesterday about the new outline that "if each such round of tests costs us NIS 200-150, we will not be able to pay the amount and we will treat it like the flu. If one "The children will be exposed to verified Corona, we will not perform tests on him because it is too expensive. I do not intend to pay for these tests.
Sheeran Ezer Cohen, a resident of Ramat Gan and a mother of two, also said similar things.
"I feel there is a matter of throwing private and personal responsibility on the citizens, without any government involvement and no protection envelope required. It comes after a long period where the general public is in a difficult atmosphere because it is tired of everything we have experienced in the last two years."
"We were left alone, without a landlord," she added.
"After all, now the entire responsibility is in our hands, without any supervision and without anyone giving the verdict, because how will they prove that someone lied in a home inspection? The deterrent factor in keeping the guidelines is exhausted. Every man for himself."
MK Uri Maklev (Archive), Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
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