Crisis in Israeli hospitals – what the Health Ministry plans to do

Israel's healthcare system is facing a staffing crisis: 24% of specialist doctors in hospitals are of pre-retirement age, and in palliative medicine this figure reaches 48%. The Health Ministry is increasing enrollment in medical schools, but experts point to the need for a comprehensive approach, including mentorship.

Israel's healthcare system is facing a systemic staffing crisis. According to a 2024 Ministry of Finance report, 24% of specialist doctors in hospitals are of pre-retirement age (men over 60, women over 55). In certain fields the situation is critical: in palliative medicine the share of older staff is 48%, in pediatric surgery 36%, in geriatrics 34%, and in oncology 28%. As early as 2023, about 11,800 doctors in the country had already passed retirement age. In neurology, roughly a third of the 400 active specialists are over 65, and the overall shortage in this field numbers in the hundreds. The roots of the crisis lie in the demographic structure: after the wave of repatriation in the 1990s, about 10,000 doctors from the former Soviet Union filled an acute need, and now that generation is simultaneously ending its career. The situation was exacerbated by the Itziv reform, which tightened recognition of foreign diplomas. The Health Ministry is increasing medical school enrollment from 820 students in 2020 to 1,550 in the upcoming academic year, with plans to reach 2,000 by the end of the decade. Experts insist on a comprehensive approach, including mentorship institutions.