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The cancer patient have ended their hunger strike yesterday, after an addition of 350 million NIS was added to the health basket. It all started a few weeks ago, during the Knesset’s first reading of the budget.

Labor members Shelly Yacimovich and Yoram Marciano walked out of the vote in protest. Later they said they were protesting for the budget’s lack of socioeconomic considerations. Kadima officials said that following the vote, Prime-Minister Ehud Olmert had to remind Amir Peretz, head of the Labor party, that Labor’s support of the 2006 budget was part of the coalition agreement signed between the two parties.

Sixteen days ago, cancer patients and their families decided to struggle for life saving drugs, which were left out of the health basket due to the budget, and went on a hunger strike. A strike that ended yesterday.
“We’ve ended the strike and I’m focusing now on the hardest war of all - the war for dad’s life” said Ron Hirsh who has stroked instead of his ill father. “We congratulate Israel and the government for taking responsibility on its patients and we hope the massage of our strike was loud an clear.”

While the strikers are folding their belongings and preparing to go back home, Hirsh said, “The first thing I’ll do is eating three-hundred grams of filet, even though the doctors say it’s unhealthy.” “It’s a good feeling, but there’s no triumph here,” say one of the strike’s organizers, “We fought to receive something elementary.”

Knesset member, Efraim Sneh (Labor) went to see the protesters at their moment of victory. When asked why it took sixteen days to solve the problem he said, “The solution was here for a long time, Olmert’s will came just today. The Labor party made sure to add four-hundred million NIS to the budget of 2007, and now will have the money we need.” And people other then cancer patient will benefit from this addition to the budget.

Amongst others are lung disease patients, multiple myeloma patients who will receive Velcade, and women with a low-grade breast malignancy. Growth factor for children was also added to the basket.