Israel: New hospital planned for Be'er Sheva

The new hospital will be owned by Israel's National and United Health Funds and will be established and operated through Sheba Hospital.

The government said that the new hospital is part of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's plan to use Sheba Hospital's "reputation and professionalism" for the benefit of the residents of Israel's periphery, and to meet the need to "strengthen the small health insurance funds and create competition against the Clalit (General) health insurance fund that dominates the south, thereby improving medicine in the community in the south."

To that end, Minister Smotrich will establish a directorate that will accompany the establishment of the hospital and will have representatives from the ministries of finance and health.

Israel's Ministry of Finance and Health said it intends to accelerate the construction of the hospital and the "ambition is to finish the detailed planning by the end of the year and the construction within three to four years."

"With God's help, we are going to invest over two billion shekels in the coming years in building one of the most advanced hospitals in the world, and this is a tremendous shot of encouragement for Beer Sheva as a metropolitan city and for all the residents of the southern periphery," said Minister Smotrich.

"Already in the coming year, cooperation will begin between Shiva and the health funds to strengthen medicine in the community in Be'er Sheva and the surrounding area." (ANI/TPS)