The Israeli Medical Association - IMA - and the association of state-worker doctors petitioned the High Court of Justice on Sunday against a decision to transfer the operation of early childhood clinics from the state to private medical care services.

The decision by the health and finance ministries is expected to be brought before the Knesset for approval under the 2007 State Budget. The budget bill includes a NIS 50 million section for funding the trial privatization of early childhood medical services.

At present, medical care services are operating 20 percent of early childhood clinics. In their petition, the medical organizations cite the Law of Public Health, which forbids the state from transferring the operation of those clinics to private hands. According to the petitioners, the Finance Ministry's move was "done without authority, in order to decrease budgetary spending, and defames the Knesset."

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Preventive medical services at early childhood clinics (for children up to the age of five) include instruction to parents, observation of baby development and standard inoculations.

IMA Chairman Dr. Yoram Belsher said that "transferring the operation of early childhood clinics into the hands of private medical care companies would harm the lower socioeconomic tiers, who would be unable to afford their services."

An IMA report warns that the privatization of preventive medical services could make them unaffordable to many. According to the report, "private medical care companies focus on urban areas and neglect the population in peripheries."

In addition, doctors are worried that the privatization will decrease the inoculation rate among young children.

The IMA is demanding that the government adopt the findings of the Amorai report - which was published four years ago - according to which, "there is no guaranty that the privatization of medical services will decrease budgetary spending," and "transferring the responsibility for operating preventive medical services will jeopardize an essential service."

A Health Ministry spokesperson said in response that "the ministry is convinced that the quality of service at early childhood clinics is declining due to budgetary constraints. The ministry has agreed to privatize some of the clinics in order to free up manpower and funds that will be redirected for the public's benefit."