Health minister’s intervention highlights Israel’s protekzia problem, healthcare gaps - editorial

A haredi journalist praised Health Minister Haim Katz for intervening to secure urgent radiation therapy for her uncle, bypassing a three-week wait. The editorial argues this case exposes Israel's protekzia problem, where healthcare access depends on personal connections to officials, leaving ordinary patients without recourse. The real measure of a functioning health system is how it treats those without powerful connections.

A haredi journalist publicly praised Health Minister Haim Katz (Likud) for intervening to secure urgent radiation therapy for her uncle, who faced a three-week wait for treatment. The editorial argues that while Katz helped one patient, the case exposes Israel's protekzia problem, where healthcare access depends on personal connections to officials. The writer notes that for every appointment moved forward by a minister's call, another patient's appointment is pushed back. The real measure of a functioning health system, the editorial concludes, is how it treats the person who has nobody powerful to call.