The Health Council published a report at the request of Minister Nitzan Horowitz, according to which there is a shortfall of approximately 3.7 billion shekels in the health system's budget. The health budget is the third highest after those of the ministries of defense and education and stands at approximately 54 billion shekels.
A committee chaired by Prof. Meir Fogtash from the University of Haifa, with the participation of senior officials in the health system, formulated the assessment.
After the inspection, in their estimation, the health funds require an addition of NIS 2.3 billion, and the hospitals require an addition of NIS 1.35 billion.
Harm in disputes, photo: Yossi Zeliger
The addition does not include the field of rehabilitation, psychiatry, geriatrics and personnel costs, when together with these fields the necessary amount is expected to be 4.5 billion NIS.
Reforms that were raised and demanded, including for example the issue of shortening shifts, were not discussed by the team.
Among the required additions, a considerable amount of one billion shekels was allocated, which is intended to shorten the queues for specialist doctors in the health insurance funds, thereby improving the service and the quality of treatment.
It was also proposed to give a construction budget of NIS 250 million to the hospitals every year.
"It is true that this is only about NIS 10 million per hospital per year, but it is a significant amount when it enters the base of the budget and gives certainty to hospitals that have to deal with the issue of construction," says a senior official in the health system who was one of the authors of the report.
"Reducing many gaps"
An additional budget for the hospitals, amounting to NIS 50 million, is intended for the purchase of new technologies.
The same amount is intended to train 250 specialists per year in the hospitals and in the community according to the needs of the health system, in order to deal with the shortage of specialists in certain fields. The required supplement is based on several layers, including completing deficiencies and closing gaps and distortions that exist in the base of the budget (for example, updating budgets related to the aging of the population and the development of services in the periphery).
The budget is needed for equipment in hospitals, photo: Gideon Markovich
Another layer concerns the definition of national goals, strengthening the system and reducing many gaps.
The experts also recommend adding additional funds to the base of the budget, which are currently given as part of "support tests" to the health funds against meeting targets.
This is an amount of about NIS 4 billion.
Prof. Nachman Ash, Director General of the Ministry of Health: "This comprehensive work was done when we still thought there would be a state budget and the elections had not yet been announced.
The experts touched on many areas of the health system where there are gaps.
The shortage is greater than the amount indicated in the recommendations, but there is no doubt that this is something that will advance the system.
The proposed plan does not include personnel issues such as increasing the number of medical students or shortening specializations.
So such an addition will not solve all the problems that exist.
And of course it will be important to monitor that the money is invested in the right places."
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