The plan to increase the number of doctors is revealed – how many will reach the periphery?

The Ministry of Health has for the first time revealed national targets for the specialist doctor map by 2035, with an expected 57% increase in their numbers. However, the article emphasizes that increasing supply does not guarantee equitable distribution: in the south, the rate of neurologists stands at only 38% of the future target. The ministry's director general clarifies that the public will not feel the change immediately.

The Ministry of Health has for the first time revealed national targets for the specialist doctor map by 2035, with a forecast of a 57% increase in their numbers – from 20,300 to about 32,000. The article emphasizes that increasing supply does not guarantee equitable distribution: in the south, the rate of neurologists stands at only 38% of the future target, compared to 85% in the central district. The ministry's director general, Moshe Bar Siman Tov, clarifies that the public will not feel the change immediately. The targets include increases in internal medicine (from 3,880 to 6,100), family medicine (from 2,630 to 4,530), and pediatrics (from 2,750 to 4,030). The ministry plans to act through economic incentives, expanding programs to encourage work in the periphery, and combined specializations. However, the article notes that no breakdown of the budget per profession and district, the number of residency slots to be added each year, or interim targets for reducing waiting times were included. This is an initial planning step, whose success will be measured by the ability to turn forecasts into available doctors in peripheral areas.