Eilat will not be left without treatment: The association fought - and autism services will remain in the city
The 'Oti' association for autism, which operates the TBM (Preventive Health Care) services in Eilat, announced it will remain in the city after a struggle with the Ministry of Health over budgets for flying in therapists. The association, the only one operating in the city, fought to stay due to concerns that autistic children would be referred to HMOs and suffer from long wait times or distance.
The 'Oti' (Israeli Autism Association), which operates the TBM (Preventive Health Care) services in Eilat, announced it will remain in the city and continue to operate the services in the upcoming school year. The decision came after a prolonged struggle with the Ministry of Health, which included a persistent demand for budgets to allow flying in and employing therapists in Eilat. The association is the only one operating in this field in the city. In recent years, its activities were at risk due to budgeting problems that made it difficult to provide services. The association fought to stay, understanding that if it left, autistic children and their families would be referred to HMOs and would have to deal with long or distant wait times, and sometimes pay out of pocket for private therapists. By staying, the children can continue to receive the services they are entitled to at their educational institution, during school hours, without parents having to shuttle them. The association's CEO, Tzipi Nagel Edelstein, noted that the national shortage of para-medical therapists is particularly acute in Eilat, which suffers from a severe shortage, low availability, and great distance, making treatment of an autistic child more difficult and expensive.