Some NIS 1 billion to be added to health basket

The Finance Ministry and Health Ministry reached an agreement Monday to add some one billion shekels to the health basket in next three years, Health Minister Ya'acov Ben-Yizri announced Monday, ahead of the 2008 budget. In addition, all medicines defined as being vital and life-saving will be removed from the list of drugs that health services only provide to patients who have paid additional insurance. Ben-Yizri also announced there would be a 10 percent reduction in medicines for the elderly, an additional 150 million shekels allocated for the construction and development of hospitals and an additional 180 nurses to Tipat Halav [the well-baby clinics].