In 2023, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Moshe Bar-Simantov, began seeking a change to the decision that the new hospital in Beersheba would be owned by one of the health insurance funds and not managed by a government agency. The Ministry of Finance strongly opposed this idea, but after much discussion, an inter-ministerial commission has presented recommendations to the government regarding the format of the new hospital.
Originally, it was planned for the hospital to have a capacity of 600 beds and aim to reduce the load on the Soroka hospital and significantly improve access to medical care for the population of the Negev region. However, due to concerns about centralization in the medical services market and potential conflicts of interest with the Ministry of Health, it was decided that ownership should be transferred to two small health insurance funds: Meuhedet and Leumit. The operational management of the hospital will be carried out by Sheba Medical Center.
The inter-ministerial commission’s recommendation comes after extensive debate between various stakeholders in Israel’s healthcare system. The commission believes that joint ownership by two small health insurance funds will provide more diverse perspectives and better representation for patients in decision-making processes related to healthcare policy. Additionally, having Sheba Medical Center as operational manager will ensure that best practices are implemented and maintained at all times.
While some may argue against state involvement in healthcare operations, proponents believe that this approach will ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes and greater efficiency in delivering medical care. With these recommendations now before government leaders, it remains to be seen how they will proceed with plans for Beersheba’s new hospital.