Health minister: I never flew at the public's expense

German insists officials should not fly with public funds; comments on Israeli health institutions, arguing that state of hospitals far from ideal, medical insurance needs reform through legislation

Moran Azulay |Published: 05.18.13 , 17:22

Health Minister Yael German (Yesh Atid) commented Saturday on the public outrage inspired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal expenses, in particular his in-flight bedroom, saying public officials should lead by example.

Speaking at a public event in Ramat Hasharon, German said: "In all my 14 years as mayor of Herzliya I never once flew at the public's expense and even put through a municipal policy that officials who receive a salary cannot fly with public funds."

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She qualified the statement saying that as a member of the government she would not directly comment on the prime minister's conduct.

Regarding issues pertaining to her ministry, German said that within a fortnight she would form a public committee to assess the condition of the public health system which, according to her, suffers from a lack of funding and elementary equipment, as well as a shortage in nurses.

"At 3 pm all the specialists get up and leave the public hospitals and do private surgeries, leaving the hospitals without specialists."

German also touched upon medical insurance, saying that 80% of the population have either private insurance, some supplementary program with one of the four Health Maintenance Organizations, or both. As a result, the health minister stressed, they are burdened with an unnecessary expense. This, according to German, is a problem the committee will have to address through legislation.

She added that double insurance allows private companies to find loopholes in the law whereby they charge the State with medical expenses instead of participating in them as they are obliged. The official promised to put an end to the situation.