Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday that within a few weeks Israel will launch a pilot program offering significant housing benefits to army reserve doctors who move to the Negev, in an effort to bring hundreds of physicians to the new hospital planned for Beersheba. The pilot will begin in Lehavim, a community near the future medical center.
The plan was advanced this week in a meeting with hospital directors, Lehavim’s local council head, and Smotrich. He instructed senior Finance Ministry officials to move quickly on a package of benefits for reserve-duty doctors, alongside the housing benefits already available to reservists, so they can live near the new hospital at a reduced cost and with greater ease.
The new hospital, Shiba Negev, is expected to open in the coming years. Under the proposal, doctors who serve in reserve duty would receive substantial land discounts, and Lehavim would serve as the first test case. If it succeeds, the program could be expanded to additional Negev communities. The Finance Ministry is now drafting the plan for the minister’s approval in the coming weeks.
Smotrich said, “We are committed to strengthening the Negev and improving medical services for its residents. Incentivizing the arrival of hundreds of quality doctors to the new ‘Shiba Negev’ hospital is a national goal. The combination of incentives for reservists and quality housing solutions in the Negev is the key to success. The pilot in Lehavim will be the first step, and I am convinced we will soon see its fruits.” Lehavim council head Elad Arzi said the decision would help strengthen the Negev with “high-quality” residents and praised the ministry and hospital leadership for advancing the plan.
