Budget Director Ram Belnikov today announced that the Ministry of Finance has retreated from its intention to postpone building a hospital in Ashdod until 2020. The postponement was to have been included in the 2009 economic arrangements bill.
The item was cut out of the bill because Deputy Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman is considered one of the most ardent supporters of the hospital, and heads the Knesset lobby for getting it built. The lobby mostly comprises members of his party, United Torah Judaism, as well as MKs from Ashdod, such as Sofa Landver (Yisrael Beiteinu).
Litzman said that he would not support the Ministry of Finance's attempt to delay the hospital, even though the Ministry of Health opposes the project. The Ministry of Health's objections are due to its dual function as regulator of the health system and as owner of the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Government-owned Clalit Healthcare Services, which owns Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot, used to be a vocal opponent of the Ashdod hospital plan, but is now silent apparently because it is bidding to build it.
Barzilai Hospital and Kaplan Hospital are the two closest hospitals to Ashdod, Israel's fifth largest city, with 230,000 residents. It is Israel's only large city without a hospital.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 30, 2009
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