Avi Buskila, CEO of Israel Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment, is at the forefront of the fight in Corona
A visit to the new Marlog. Quality care and financial savings
Photography:
Ofer Petersburg
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements
Despite the reduction in the number of corona patients, in Israel, the arm for the supply of medical equipment and medicines to government hospitals and health institutions is already preparing for the third wave of the virus.
It will probably come at the same time as winter illness, a combination that raises heavy concerns around the world.
The company has been operating shifts around the clock for more than half a year.
Workers go through sleepless nights, maintaining continuous contact and conducting commercial activities with 42 countries around the world.
It seems that even thanks to these efforts, alongside the activities of the Ministry of Health, there is no shortage of medicines and equipment in hospitals.
One of the people leading the behind-the-scenes operation of the procurement and supply of medicines, respirators, medical equipment and protective equipment is Avi Buskila, CEO of the Israel Company. He served as a lieutenant colonel in the Medical Corps That the citizens of the country will continue to receive the best medical care.
Busquila believes in collaborating with hospitals, health and defense ministries in the war in Corona.
He opens the interview with a warning for the coming winter: "Of course there is a lot of fatigue and discomfort from wearing masks and social distance. But it is clear that if there are no adherence to the rules it will have a dangerous effect on public health.
"In winter we face a complex challenge of influenza morbidity in parallel with corona morbidity. We will need to quickly diagnose who is on stage. This is a situation that can cause anxiety among the public and medical staff and overload hospitals, which will make it difficult for patients even in corridors. "Everyone must adhere to the rules and we must prepare in advance for equipment."
An innovative marlog
Busquila is currently busy establishing the logistics center for the most advanced medical equipment and medicines in the world, which will meet the need in the coming years as well.
During our visit to the Israel headquarters in the Poleg area of Netanya, we approach the nearby construction site to examine the new Marlog built there. This is the first visit to the innovative robotic logistics center, which is about to be filled with unique medicine and medical equipment a decade ahead of schedule.
An impressive 10-story autonomous building can be seen, spread over an area of tens of thousands of square meters, which is also being built these days and will be used in the future as a biomedical innovation complex.
Two floors will serve as the headquarters of the Israel Company and the additional floors, which are currently on the market, will be populated mainly by leading companies in the field of medicine, who will enjoy proximity to the Israel Company and the best road network in Israel - Road 4, Coast Road and Road 6.
The Marlog was designed and established on the basis of a vision and strategy formulated by the company's management and board of directors, headed by Chairman Shlomo Gropman, who has decades of experience in the real estate field. In this context, Busquila noted that the chairman's experience is certainly reflected in project promotion.
The guideline is to ensure an advanced, computerized and fast medical supply chain from the Israel company to the patient's bed and the operating table.
The medicines and medical equipment will move in Marlog on robotic and automatic conveyors to order and precise dosage, which will be transmitted from the hospitals directly to the collection station. From there, the equipment will be sent to the hospitals in a controlled, secure and fast manner.
The innovations will enable hospitals to manage sophisticated and fast inventory in a very cost-effective and accurate manner.
Streamlining the medical supply chain can result in savings of 20% to 30% on procurement costs, preventing the destruction of equipment and drugs.
Drugs in skimmers
Israel was established in 1995 with the aim of serving as the central purchasing arm for hospitals and government medical centers and other institutions in Israel.
Buskila, 58, married + 3, practices national projects and meets all the challenges facing the health system in the State of Israel.
The company is owned by the Association of Public Hospitals for the Public and operates on a non-profit basis.
It is headed by the esteemed Brigadier General (Res.) Prof. Moshe Revach, who was previously the Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Rambam Medical Center.
Israel grew under the management of Buskila as CEO and Shlomo Grofman as chairman of the board of directors of a company that is kissing in 2020 to an activity of NIS 2 billion.
Every year, tens of millions of shekels are transferred to the coffers of government hospitals, of which as a service to the hospital public.
Today, Israel is a leading, reliable and well-known brand in the field of medical procurement and logistics in Israel and in various countries overseas.
The company is a leader in innovation, and in the coming days plans to begin a pilot to supply medicines and medical equipment to Nahariya Medical Center using skimmers and integrating the Israel Railways.
The pilot in question is carried out jointly with the Hospitals Division of the Ministry of Health, Ayalon Lanes, the Innovation Authority and RTA.
This is an expression of the need for an efficient supply of urgent medicines for life-threatening diseases.
It is an example of the added value of Israel, which is entering a modern, technological and sophisticated era.
At the same time, Israel has developed and implemented in the hospitals computerized inventory management systems combined with cabinets and smart scales, based on patents from Israel and Switzerland.
Every item used is immediately updated in the system, and the order for a new item is made automatically, without the medical staff wasting time or being bothered by a shortage of available medical equipment.
Today, a nurse in the inpatient department spends more than half a day a week counting, issuing reports and orders. She can devote this precious time in the future to caring for patients. When staff are not worried about ordering, they do not store medical equipment, so the need to destroy obsolete equipment is reduced.
Amazing opportunity
Have you opened up an opportunity for more companies to join the campus you are establishing?
"This is an autonomous building. Part of it is for rent, part is for sale and two floors will be used by the Israeli offices. I think this is an amazing opportunity, especially for companies that deal with innovation and medical technologies, medical management, the world of medical logistics and pharmaceuticals.
“The high accessibility of the building, and the location in the heart of Poleg's high - tech area, create an attractive real estate opportunity.
The offices overlook the sea, with large balconies and a decorative roof, which allows employees to breathe air comfortably.
"Today the tendency is to build high-rise towers, but we preferred a 10-story building, which will be inhabited by quality and leading companies. The price is not high compared to Tel Aviv, around NIS 9,000 per square meter. The autonomous building is part of the science, medicine and logistics complex in the area." .
What are you especially proud of?
"I am
I am proud of the management team I have and the employees of the company, who feel that they are carrying out a national mission.
Israel has become an address for many associations of vulnerable populations and Holocaust survivors, to whom we have lovingly and voluntarily provided protective equipment against the corona.
We continue to do so to this day. "
Waiting for the vaccine
When do you think a vaccine for corona will be found?
"Of course we are constantly monitoring the progress. There are tremendous efforts to get the vaccine from all parties in government, but I recommend preparing for the coming year on the premise that there will be no vaccine yet. Even when the vaccine is found we still do not know how effective, side effects and whether we will need. For a one-time vaccine, an annual vaccine similar to the flu or even a biennial.
"The interesting news is that there is treatment combined with a number of drugs along with supportive therapies, which have the potential to make it easier to deal with the virus. Although much remains to be learned about the virus, doctors and medical staff have gained knowledge and experience treating this new and deceptive virus.
"Knowledge has been gained not only about the most effective drugs, but also about the timing of treatment and the doses required. This improves the ability of medical staff to deal with the disease. The rapid recovery of US President Donald Trump can be seen as an example."
What are the most common and consumed medications during this period?
"A great deal can be learned about the impact of corona through changes in the habits of consuming medicines and medical equipment in the community and in hospitals. These days we have been mapping and analyzing consumption, and we have come to interesting conclusions.
"Of course there has been a significant increase in the use of disinfectants. There seems to be a lull these days, but I estimate that consumption will rise again with the return to school. There has been a 20% increase in consumption of dry eye preparations, probably due to prolonged screen viewing.
"In addition, people consume more than double the vitamins like C and D and homeopathic products to strengthen the immune system. In contrast, there is a 50% decrease in the consumption of lice preparations and diarrhea preparations, due to maintaining social distance and hygiene, especially among children.
"Significant decreases can also be seen in the use of antibiotics in sore throats and allergy preparations due to masking and distancing. However, social distancing and isolation impair the mental state. "On neglect in the treatment of medical problems. I guess we will see the consequences later."
Which hospital do you think excels?
"All the hospitals and medical staff do their best with great sacrifice and dedication. I was personally excited to see during my visit to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa the military medical staff work together with the hospital staff, with amazing cooperation and a sense of mission.
"Fortunately, unlike the first wave, in the current wave the hospitals allowed family members to visit the corona ward and let them say goodbye to their loved ones while alive. Today, when they are more familiar with the virus and how to protect and infect, they are less afraid to allow a family member to visit with appropriate protective equipment. "Family and breaking the loneliness have an effect on recovery."
World Biological War
It is difficult to take a positive view of the government's conduct in dealing with the plague.
"There is no doubt that the rapid exit from the first wave to the urgent and inevitable need for a second closure should have been conducted differently. It is a global biological war and dealing with a contagious and harmful virus, unknown in the medical world, which behaves like biological cluster bombs. Years.
"Unlike regional wars we have experienced in the State of Israel, this is a global war, with the whole world competing for the same products. No country has been prepared ahead of time for such a surprising event. Taiwan has coped well, largely due to its trauma and experience from the SARS epidemic. , And of course the personal discipline embedded in the local culture.
"With all the criticism there is, for example on the issue of nursing homes, in my opinion the first wave in general was a correct deal. We will never know what health catastrophe was avoided. It was right to run bodies like the Supreme Emergency Authority, a national emergency authority to act in such cases of epidemics, and less Immediate all kinds of solutions and processes. "
What about the conduct in the field of purchasing medical equipment?
"Already at the end of January, we estimated in Israel that the corona virus that struck China could later reach Israel. We began to prepare and make a massive purchase of medicines, medical equipment and protective equipment.
"At the beginning of the first wave until mid-March, China and other countries closed their gates. The Chinese demand for protection products was huge. Ali Baba and other Chinese officials asked me for Little Israel to supply China with about 150 million masks. More countries asked us for about 10 million masks. They wanted to pay any price and I refused.The line that guided us was to give top priority to the preparation of the hospitals in the country, and not our profitability.
"Along with the positive things that happened in this area, there were also phenomena of certain suppliers that reminded me of the period of the Yom Kippur War. Suppliers at Ko Bar Lev tried to get rich from unprofessional development work, while grabbing personal profits at the expense of the state.
"We encountered companies without any understanding of medical equipment, which sold low-quality items. Their sole purpose was to make a box office, sometimes under the guise of Zionism. Unfortunately, there is no law and no law regarding the import of masks. There is no standard mark regarding number of layers, level of filtration and protection.
"From the beginning, we had to unite forces and coordinate a joint effort between the main medical procurement bodies of the State of Israel. The Corona incident illustrated how lacking knowledge and infrastructure of blue and white production in the fields of diagnostics, equipment and medical equipment. I know the procurement director and Ministry of Health are trying to advance the issue. "I hope the process does not stop after the plague."
one on one
Hobbies
: "Work is my first hobby. I experience great satisfaction in what I do. I have been in the medical field and medical director since the age of 18, and I have never left it. When I have free time, and there is not much of it, I like to paint."
Background from the past
: "Behind 25 years of service in the IDF.
I graduated as a lieutenant colonel in the medical corps, with an MBA in business administration.
I started my military service as a combat medic and airborne medic and later served as a branch head at the Military Medicine School, commander of the IDF Medical and Medical Equipment Logistics Center and assistant to the organization's chief medical officer. I previously served as director of medical logistics at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. Israel for the past 12 years. "
The company's achievements
: "Throughout its years of operation, Israel, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has participated in the planning and operation of national health projects. In the last six months, with the outbreak of the corona virus, Israel was one of the first companies in the Western world to prepare for the epidemic." Around the world, it is a fierce struggle against the great and rich powers, with everyone competing for the same limited stock.
"Israel, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, and later in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the Mossad, brought to Israel in operations around the world respirators, tens of millions of masks, gloves, goggles, protective gowns for medical staff, special respiratory medications and at the same time provided hospitals with general supplies. Global and logistical conditions are particularly complex.
“It was a challenge to maintain functional continuity and deal with the situation of senior employees going abroad to physically inspect goods and make sure the transactions are reliable, and from the airport back to isolation.
During the event we implemented technology of sensor systems installed in the respirators, through which the hospital can locate the location of each respirator at any point in time.
"Israel has previously participated in other national projects of refreshing the stock of medicines and emergency equipment, saving tens of millions of shekels a year. The company has assisted special medical missions abroad, and provided the equipment and medicines to protect against diseases such as: Ebola, SARS, bird flu and polio.
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Israel is leading the supply chain of hospitals a few steps further through the most advanced computerized inventory management, ordering and storage systems in the world.
"We are now preparing for winter. This week, about 600 advanced respirators arrived in Israel through Israel and the Ministry of Health, which will be used in the emergency response system. I am convinced that tightening our cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Defense, which began in the first wave, will serve the health of the country." .
Things I would have done differently
: "From the age of 18, I have invested my time for the health of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens, and I would not give up a single minute.
Maybe I should have known my wife Hani first and married her at a younger age, to already be a grandfather.
I would take time to do my doctorate, I already had a topic and a guide, but I did not turn to it.
Of course, we all make mistakes while doing so, but my gaze is always turned forward, in order to promote the health of the citizens of Israel in the best possible way. "
Recommendations to the government
: "Continue to invest in innovation, invest in hospital infrastructure and strengthen the medical staff. Coordination must be tightened between all bodies operating in an emergency. Israel, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense have very talented professionals, with optimal cooperation." "The development of advanced logging as we are building these days and the implementation of advanced technologies are an example of how the quality of care can be improved, money saved and lives saved."
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements
