Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center may participate in an ambitious project to build a 'medical city' in Russia sources inform "Globes". Hadassah submitted a proposal together with business enterprises and estimates are that it has a long-term endeavor underway in Russia. "Globes" has also learned that the details of this proposal have not been reported to the board, or approved by it. The hospital's state-appointed treasurer has also not been informed, although the government has provided the hospital with NIS 1.3 billion as part of a streamlining plan launched about two and a half years ago.
One of the hospital's directors, former Meuhedet Health Services CEO Prof. Asher Alhiani told "Globes" that since he joined the board in April, he has not heard of any venture in Russia. He said that if an agreement on this issue has been signed or will be signed, it would have to be approved by the board before it becomes a binding document. Cooperation with the Russians has been pushed forward by Hadassah's new CEO, Prof. Zeev Rotstein, who has been in contact with sources in Russia for several years, since he was CEO of the government's Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. Rotstein has been consulting with entrepreneurs, including in China and Africa; without full transparency to the board and to the persons who are supposed to act as watchdogs, it remains unclear what the hospital will gain from the project and what elements or officials will benefit from it.
As "Globes" has reported in the past, the state-appointed accountant, who had been a key aspect of Hadassah's streamlining agreement, has been intentionally kept in the dark by Prof. Rotstein for a long time, despite recurring warnings by the Ministry of Finance Accountant General Michal Abadi-Boiangiu. Minister of Health Moshe Litzman and his office's director general Moshe Bar Siman Tov have been turning a blind eye on this as has, to a large extent, Ministry of Finance director general Shai Babad.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 31, 2016
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