Knesset's Finance Committee has approved budget transfers totaling NIS 2.8 billion to the Ministry of Health

The wave of spread of the Omicron strain is costing the state coffers big money. The Knesset's Finance Committee has approved budget transfers totaling NIS 2.8 billion to the Ministry of Health, in order to deal with the corona plague. Among other things, it designated special sums of money for the purchase of medicines for the disease, test kits and millions of new vaccines.
Thus, NIS 1.4 billion was approved as part of an addition to the 2022 budget and a similar amount was transferred as a surplus from the 2021 budget year for use by the Ministry of Health in 2022 from the corona box of the past year.
NIS 900 million is intended for expanding the Ministry of Health's equipment and purchasing medical equipment, condensing the stock of antigen kits, intensifying the system of truncating the infection chains by expanding PCR and antigen testing and expanding sampling in schools under the Magen Education program, and sampling in nursing homes. In addition, support for the effort to vaccinate the population through the opening of vaccine complexes throughout the country, as well as strengthening the system of vaccines through storage teams.
NIS 500 million is intended for the opening of wards for moderate and severe corona patients in geriatric hospitals, funding of educational frameworks for children of medical staff, expansion of the vaccination campaign for the elderly population aged 60 and over and for medical staff, and continued vaccination for adolescents and adults. Across the country - As part of the vaccination campaign led by the HMOs, in collaboration with the hospitals and other bodies, central vaccination complexes are being set up and vaccinations are being provided at nursing home institutions.
NIS 1.4 billion Surplus of the Ministry of Health from fiscal year 2021 For use by the Ministry in 2022 are intended for the following purposes:
NIS 900 million for liabilities to sampling companies, laboratories, warehousing companies, hiring researchers for the months of November-December of 2021 - the actual payment comes out after checking invoices against actual outputs from all parties.
NIS 500 million is intended to support health funds for performing corona tests - the payment is actually given after the amounts of tests have been reported by the funds and compared to data from the Ministry of Health.
During the discussion, members of the opposition raised the issue of the lack of Akmo devices in some of the hospitals in the periphery.