The Knesset's State Control Committee on Monday discussed the untenable situation the healthcare system is facing, and the fact that there is a lack of budgets for government hospitals.
Professor Ze'ev Rotstein, Director-General of Hadassah Medical Organization, said, "Even without coronavirus, we want to eliminate the issue of old people in hallways."
He added that 40% of hospital beds in Israel are in government hospitals, and the health funds do not transfer full payment to the hospitals for services provided to their clients. In addition, he noted that the law requires him to give an approximately 30% discount for every shekel received. As a result, the fact that the hospitals are operating at 120% capacity does not improve their financial situation, and some employees have been placed on unpaid leave.
"Our expenses have increased" due to coronavirus, he added.
"For every shekel we received from the health funds, we needed to give discounts which added up to six hundred million shekels ($176,258,100) this year," he explained, noting that the health funds receive the compensation for the services and decide how to divide it among their creditors.
"We have a huge manpower issue, and an issue that nurses and doctors are worn out. There was a scenario that put us over the edge, if the infections would be in the winter, from our perspective the hospital will experience a catastrophe. I still don't have money to pay August salaries.
"The result might be that the hospital will close, and we won't make it to the winter. Meaning, it could be there won't be money to buy medicines, and there won't be salaries."