Last week (23.7.23) State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman visited the North. Liora Shimoni, Director of the Social and Welfare Audit Division, and the Office's staff, also participated in the tour.
The tour began with a visit to the Hula Lake, where the Comptroller and his Office's staff met with researchers from the Tel-Hai Academic College to become acquainted with a unique research focus in the field of migratory birds and the special biodiversity in the Hula Valley. Afterwards the Comptroller and his Office's staff toured the pre-historic archeological laboratory at the Tel-Hai Academic College and were shown unique archeological artefacts. They also toured the MIGAL Research Institute and met with the Institute's researchers, and were presented with ground-breaking studies in the field of microbes and innovative cancer treatments. A tour was also held of the research laboratories in the Tel-Hai College campus as well as a meeting with leading researchers from the College, where they were presented with development studies, for example in the field of food-tech, and a joint venture with the local authorities in the region and with the Ministry of Education, for the operation of programs for scientific studies for youth. The College's executive described to the Comptroller how it was preparing itself to ensure it was ready for the declaration of the College as a university in the Galilee.
State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman: "Our visit to the College illustrates the importance of the matters we dealt with in the reports, including the gaps between the periphery and the center, which we dwelt upon. Thus, for example, in the report about the national plan for the development of the North, within the framework of which we recommended promoting the implementation of the Government Decision regarding the establishment of a university in the north of the country and the development of accessible and effective medical services in the North as well as the development of high-quality employment possibilities for the residents of the region. There is no doubt that an academic anchor in the northern region is very meaningful for the development of high-quality employment as well. On the professional side we have heard from the researchers about their studies in the fields of water pollution, invasive species, bird migration and preservation of biodiversity and more, and this also within the context of the global climate changes. As comptroller, it is important for me to emphasize that the field of environmental protection is not always at the heart of the public concern, but in my opinion it is no less important than any other field, and so we spend a lot of time dealing with this field within the framework of the audit".
The Vice President, Prof. Snait Tamir, and the CEO of the College, Eli Cohen, who presented the Comptroller and his Office's staff with the Tel-Hai Academic College's development trends and the unique model whereby the Galilee University will operate, noted that "Tel-Hai Academic College and MIGAL Research Institute have constructed in the last twenty years an extensive and steadfast academic and research infrastructure for the Galilee University. We anticipate that during the coming period Minister Kisch, who oversees the field of higher education and who holds office as the Chairman of the National Council for Higher Education, will promote the establishment of the Galilee University, as the Council has already approved. The establishment of the Galilee University will serve as a powerful lever for the social and economic development of the northern periphery, will attract high-quality human capital, create thousands more employment opportunities and reduce the significant gaps between the center and the periphery in all fields of life".
The second part of the visit to the North was to the Mazor Mental Health Medical Center in Acre, where the Comptroller spoke with the Director of the Medical Center, Dr. Keren Ginat, toured the wards and spoke with the mentally ill.
During his visit to the Mazor Medical Center, the Comptroller said that he attaches great importance to the fact that the State audit will be a mouthpiece for the mentally ill, whose voice is not always heard. He also said that "A society is measured by its attitude towards the people most worthy of being promoted in Israeli society. The Mazor Mental Health Medical Center operates as the sole mental health hospital in the northern district, it is noticeable that the medical staff are coping with complex challenges.
Nevertheless, we have gained the impression during the tour that some of the hospitalization rooms in the center are densely populated and with conditions that are undignified and not fit for human habitation. The Minister of Health must promote the plan for moving the Mazor Mental Health Hospital to an alternative place, which will allow the best provision of service to the residents of the North. Until the establishment of the hospital in an alternative location, we must solve the problem of the poor infrastructures and the over-crowding in the Mazor Mental Health Medical Center in the interim period".
.jpeg)
.jpeg)