‘Israeli’ Health Care System Isn’t Prepared for Epidemics - Haaretz

By Staff, Agencies

The Zionist entity’s health care system is not ready for an epidemic, Haaretz cited the apartheid entity’s comptroller as saying in a report released Monday, blaming the Health Ministry, the health maintenance organizations and the hospitals at a time when the number of coronavirus patients is increasing.

The report, which was drawn up by Matanyahu Englman because of the measles outbreaks in the Zionist entity and elsewhere in recent years, has been released early due to the coronavirus crisis.

It was sent to the health care system in November, though the section on preparedness for epidemics is shorter than normal and contains little data.

One finding in the comptroller’s report is the absence of a Health Ministry plan for increasing the number of hospital beds, medical staff and equipment at the start of an epidemic.

According to the report, the occupation entity does not have enough flu medication, with the current inventory sufficient for only 16 percent of the population, not 20 percent as required.

The report also discusses shortfalls in staffing against epidemics, including nurses for vaccinating patients and experts for conducting epidemiology studies.

Regarding a possible flu epidemic, the comptroller writes: “The health care system is not fully prepared for such an outbreak, even though the government’s decision on the need for preparedness was handed down in 2005.”

The increased risk of an outbreak requires the concerned ministries to draw up a plan to reduce the gaps, he added.

According to the report, information is not transmitted sufficiently for locating patients in risk groups and giving them priority in preventive care.