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NEWS
Finance Committee Decides to Prevent Bikur Cholim from Closing
By Eliezer Rauchberger
At the end of a heated meeting the Knesset Finance Committee united to
issue a unanimous decision to prevent the closure of Bikur Hospital in
central Jerusalem, but a Finance Ministry representative said the
government does not intend to channel funds to the hospital to keep it
afloat.
Committee Chairman MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said, "The Finance Committee
is firmly opposed to closing Bikur Cholim, and it should be kept in
operation for at least the next two years."
He reported that he spoke with the Prime Minister and the Finance
Minister on the issue, and "my position is that Bikur Cholim Hospital
should continue to operate. Because of overcrowded hospitals in
Jerusalem and because of the fact that the hospital is located in the
city center and because of the fact that there are hundreds of
employees who would be left without work after decades of dedication
to the hospital. Closing Bikur Cholim Hospital would be
irresponsible," he concluded, adding that United Torah Judaism is
prepared to allocate NIS 30 million of its budget for the sake of the
hospital.
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