Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced the new "Ilanot" program, made to strengthen the health system in Israel's South. The program was started at Ben-Gurion University and formally backed by the Israeli Ministry of Health.
The program was announced during a conference at the university entitled "The Negev in the Center" on Tuesday.
There are health disparities between the Center and the South, including life expectancy. People living in the Center are expected to live 2-4 years longer than those in the South.
"Closing the gaps and making healthcare accessible to all who need it all over the country is the goal of a healthy public health system," Horowitz said. "That is my commitment as health minister. The healthcare gaps between the center and the periphery are unbearable, anad only deepening in recent years. We will increase the number of medical students who grew up in the Negev, who will study in the Negev and who will remain to work in the Negev."
The health minister's new program plans on training more doctors to alleviate their lack in the South. There are 5.5 doctors per 1,000 people in Tel Aviv, but only 2.1 in the South.
There is also only one hospital in the Negev – Soroka University Medical Center – and only 1.65 beds per 100,000 residents.
“We should already be training more doctors, nurses and medical professionals. We must prepare properly for the future – and the time to do so is now." Health Ministry Dir.-Gen. Prof. Hezi Levi said.
"We should be honorable enough to give equal opportunities to those who grew up here," he said: "to cultivate the residents and allow the future medical leaders to contribute to this region.”