(live here) – In recent days, the Haifa Municipality announced a significant achievement credited to it in the ongoing legal battle against the relocation of the Carmel Hospital from Haifa to another city. Despite this, a review of the Haifa system with the Ministry of Health shows that, as of now, there is no change in the government's decision on the matter.
In November 2023, the Ministry of Health made a final decision to relocate the Carmel Medical Center to Kiryat Ata. The Ministry's Director General, Moshe Bar Siman Tov, even sent a letter to the CEO of Clalit Health Services, Eli Cohen, in which he requested that operational steps be taken to implement the decision and move the hospital to the Gilam complex in Kiryat Ata.
Upon assuming the position of mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav pledged to keep the Carmel Hospital in the city. Yesterday (Monday, March 3, 3), the municipality issued a statement stating that the Israeli government had reversed its decision and would reexamine the issue of moving the hospital. The municipality petitioned the High Court of Justice in October 25 against the State of Israel's intention to move the Carmel Hospital to Kiryat Ata. It emphasized that this is an extremely important medical institution, serving the residents of Haifa and especially the residents of the Carmel Ridge, including Osafia and Daliyat El Carmel.
The decision to reconsider was made following a petition filed by the Haifa Municipality against the relevant government ministries, including the Ministry of Health, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, the General Directorate of Health Services, the Government of Israel, the Ministry of Finance, Clalit Health Services, and Bnei Zion Hospital.
According to the government's announcement, the issue of relocating the Carmel Hospital will be submitted to an inter-ministerial team for consideration, while upholding all of the municipality's claims and granting the mayor of Haifa and the municipality itself the right to present their case. Until the review is complete, all plans and actions related to relocating the hospital will be frozen, while maintaining the current situation. The team's conclusions will be submitted for a new decision by the Israeli government.
In response to the municipality's announcement, the Ministry of Health stated:
"As of today, there is no change in the government's decision. The inter-ministerial team is completing its work on implementing the decision." This raises a question mark regarding the future of the Carmel Hospital and its final location.
If a medical faculty is opened at the University of Haifa in conjunction with Carmel Hospital, it doesn't make sense that it would pass.
That the Kamtsanovich state, with 180 billion shekels for security without security or 200 billion shekels for the metro in the Dan area alone, will find half a billion shekels to also build a hospital for a quarter of a million residents in the Krayot and the surrounding area... The distorted order of priorities in the country simply doesn't make sense.
If a medical faculty is opened at the University of Haifa in conjunction with the Carmel Martyrs' Memorial, it doesn't make sense that it would move.
That the Kamtsanovich state, with 180 billion shekels for security without security or 200 billion shekels for the metro in the Dan area alone, will find half a billion shekels to also build a hospital for a quarter of a million residents in the Krayot and the surrounding area... The distorted order of priorities in the country simply doesn't make sense.
The municipality has its own hospital in Fatah, but does not invest a penny in it.
Poor residents who have a crowded hospital stuck in the middle of their neighborhood, and politicians are using it as leverage.
If the rejection of the Haifa Municipality petition is considered by her as a great victory – what does she consider a loss?
It's better to close this shitty place already.
Hahahaha! This is a hospital???? Hahahaha! This is not a hospital. This is a bad joke at best. I wish they would move it or demolish this disgusting structure quickly. This is a serious crop hazard. Poor patients or anyone who seeks its help.
There is no reason to build another hospital in Kiryat Ata. There is no need to move Carmel to another location. This will also dilute the number of patients in the existing hospitals in Haifa.
A hospital in a stuck location, will block the entire area. I don't want to talk about what will happen if there is a fire in the area and they have to evacuate it. It needs to be connected with another access road - or moved to a larger, more spacious, more modern and more accessible location...
So what is the big win???
Worst location,
Poor accessibility to ambulances.
The only ones for whom the location is reasonable: the staff who live on the Carmel Ridge.
Here's a good thing that Yona Yahav is doing. I am in no way prepared for Carmel Hospital to move to Kiryat Ata. It's completely unnecessary.
True, one must align oneself with the will of someone "who is not ready under any circumstances."