Following a series of critiques and allegations against Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s handling of the current fourth wave of the Coronavirus in Israel, the Prime Minister announced on Wednesday that he will be diverting 2.5 billion NIS to strengthen Israel’s HMOs. The money is earmarked to set up new beds in hospitals, in the HMOs and create more available positions for nurses and doctors.

The statement was made during a press conference which the Prime Minister’s Office set up. During the press conference, Bennett also hinted at comments made earlier by Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked regarding the containment of the deceased, which aroused an uproar of discontent. Bennett said that he very much cares about those who are ill, but he also cares about business owners and those self-employed who will pay a heavy price for any lockdown.

“We are giving a serious boost to the Health System in Israel and to the medical personnel who are combatting this disease for the better health of us all. We are transferring 2.5 billion NIS immediately to strengthen the health system in Israel for now and for the future. We will be adding 770 beds, 2,000 positions to be filled, and 3,000 new students to the health system. We are targeting the assistance to help the geriatric services in Israel by adding hundreds of workers and another thousand beds. We are turning over every stone possible in order to succeed in this wave without legislating debilitating regulations or lockdowns.”

“We need to increase the capabilities of the hospitals to receive more patients and properly care for them, in order to buy us more time for the vaccination effort to take effect and slow down this wave and eventually crush the rising morbidity rate.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)