Inadequate funds to pay for salaries and supplies, and a shortage of qualified medical staff during the pandemic, has led to the near collapse of all public hospitals in the country.
Hospitals have been suffering for months from financial deficits that have now reached the lowest ebb.
Drawing an analogy between the medical profession and the army, Rivlin told the hospital directors that they are the commanders on the coronavirus battlefield. Telling them how vital their presence is, he directed them to return to the front lines to command their troops in their respective hospitals.
"You will fight in the field and the government will supply the ammunition," he said. "There is no other way. We cannot win this war alone: We depend on you."
Prof. Ofer Marin, director of Shaare Zedek Medical Center, told the president that there are seven hospitals which do not have sufficient funds to see out the month. The solution he said, is in the hands of the finance minister, who can distribute funds equally to all hospitals, instead of billions of shekels which are only being transferred to state run hospitals.
Fahd Hakim, director-general of the Nazareth English Hospital, said "We are here on behalf of our employees, who look the virus in the eye on a daily basis. We are unarmed soldiers in a war – and this really is a war."
Others participating in the meeting included Hadassah Director-General Prof. Zeev Rotstein, Maayanei Hayeshua Medical Center Director-General Shlomo Rothschild, Laniado Director-General Nadav Chen and general manager of the French Hospital Dr. Nael Elias.
Rotstein explained the complex budgetary arrangements to Rivlin. Historically, he said, the state received a gift of public hospitals which it did not have to build, and which it does not own. But it treats them with a certain disdain, because these hospitals have no father or mother.
The state hospitals belong to the state, and those that belong to the health funds are looked after by both the government and the funds.
"We are fighting for our very survival," Marin said.
Rivlin said that it was very sad to meet them under such circumstances. "We must not allow the public hospitals to collapse," he declared. "We must not allow the coronavirus to win. This is an absolutely absurd situation."
The president added that it was imperative to amend the budgetary infrastructure of the hospitals, and that it must be done immediately.
Meanwhile, Reshet Bet reported that retired nurses who were willing to shoulder part of the burden and return to work for the duration, were in danger of losing their pensions if they do so.