The government recently received recommendations from a special inter-ministerial commission, led by the directors general of the ministries of finance and health, regarding the format of the new hospital in Beersheba. The hospital is set to begin operating in 2028. Originally, it was planned for the hospital to be owned by one of the health insurance funds and not managed by a government agency. This decision was made to reduce centralization in the medical services market and avoid conflicts of interest with the Ministry of Health.
However, in 2023, Moshe Bar-Simantov, Director General of the Ministry of Health, began seeking a change to this decision. He proposed that the construction and management of the hospital be transferred to the state.
The Ministry of Finance strongly opposed this idea. After much discussion, the inter-ministerial commission recommended that the new hospital be jointly owned by two small health insurance funds, Meuhedet and Leumit.
Furthermore, they suggested that operational management of the hospital be carried out by Sheba Medical Center.
The new hospital is planned to have a capacity of 600 beds. It aims to significantly improve access to medical care for residents in Beersheba and reduce overcrowding at Soroka Hospital.
This recommendation is expected to provide more efficient healthcare services in Beersheba while also ensuring that there are no conflicts of interest between government agencies or private institutions.