The Knesset’s Economics Committee convened today (Sunday) for a discussion on the conduct of the Medical Institute for Road Safety at the Ministry of Health (Marvad), which was held at the request of MK Uri Maklev, who filled the chair.
At the beginning of the discussion, MK Maklev said that there are currently thousands of bus and truck drivers missing, and the conditions of admission require inspections at the Marvad, but the inspection procedure lasts about a year and there are long queues and poor conduct. According to him, the queue for tests is currently about 150 working days, which means that a person who is nominated for a job waits about a year and some of those who wait give up and find another job.
MK Maklev noted that he, along with other members of the Knesset, approached the Minister of Health and the director general of his ministry, demanding changes in the institute, and said: Absolute function. “
MK Katie Sheetrit, who also asked for the hearing, told about a woman who needs permission to install an apple in the car and the waiting time for approval takes over 9 months, during which she can not go to work because if she installs the accessory without approval and her license is revoked. MK Sheetrit said that discussions will be held again and again but nothing is improving, and if there is no improvement soon she intends to submit a bill to dissolve the institute. MK Maklev added and told about a man who died of cancer while he was waiting for approval from the institute. MK Vladimir Blyak added that Israel needs a medical institute to test drivers, but the test should take no more than a month and if more money is required, we will take care of it.
The director of the licensing department at the Ministry of Transportation, Effie Rosen, said that professional drivers can start learning without a medical certificate, by signing a statement, but the public does not use this option because a person will not pay 13,000 shekels per offense when he takes a risk of being medically unfit. Rosen said an answer should be given within a month and a half, adding that there is a gap of 15,000 respondents. “The idea is not to close the institute, but it is true that an 8-month wait is a violation of the public interest. “If the institute knows how to give an answer within two weeks, it must act, and needs the cooperation of the health funds,” he said.
The representative of the organization of the disabled, Shlomo Alenkawa, said that the Marvad is a place that abuses the disabled and it is time to put it in order. The chairman of the Polio Disabled Association, Yehuda Doron, added that the institute continues to give the disabled commercial vehicles that cause damage. The CEO of Teman Driving Systems Industries, Moshe Ofek, added that Naim had hit the road with inappropriate equipment and we would count the dead. Doron responded that this had already happened. Shimon Rahamim, who was also harmed by the conduct of the Marvad, added: “The conduct is not suitable for the third world or the sixth world. They do not answer or are actually lying. “
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health, Sefi Mendelovich, said that the treatment of Marvad is a priority of the ministry, despite the corona and other things. He acknowledged that the waiting times were unreasonably long, and said that the ministry was taking a number of actions to address the deficiencies. He stated that in three months he would be able to come to the committee and show that there is a 50% drop in pending cases.
MK Maklev welcomed the start of the repair process, and said it was important to involve the Ministry of Transport in these discussions. He added that the committee asks the Ministry of Health to report to it in writing within 3 months on the implementation of the operation to eliminate the cases awaiting treatment at Marvad. In this report, the ministry is also asked to report to the committee on the waiting target it has set for dealing with its application to the institute and recommends that the target set be about a month to a month and a half.
“The committee considers it very important to expand the transparency of the institute’s work, including the publication of reasoned committee decisions. The committee asks the Ministry of Health to provide it with data on the percentage of cases passed by the Appeals Committee, how many were approved and how many were not approved and for what reasons. ” The committee believes that the geographical distribution of the services of the Marvad should be expanded. The committee will ask the MMM to conduct a comparative review for it on how this issue is handled in the world. The committee will hold a follow-up meeting after receiving a reference from the Ministry of Health. The committee asks the Ministry of Health to forward to the committee and applicants a reference to the position papers submitted to the committee prior to this meeting, “MK Maklev concluded.
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