Health Minister Yaakov Litzman has reacted to the hospital strike, which started Thursday morning, by saying, "It's an unnecessary strike, without a real reason, which will not benefit the patients or the public health system."
Litzman said his ministry is in intensive talks with the Treasury to improve the health system in many ways. He said a clause in the financial arrangments law to keep certain hospital doctors from engaging in private practice has been removed from the Financial Arrangements bill and said he felt motives other than the public good drove the decision to strike at any price.