Israel Unveils Plan to Boost Doctor Numbers by 2035, Addressing Regional Gaps
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Israel's Ministry of Health has set national targets to increase the number of specialist doctors by 57% by 2035, aiming to add over 11,000 specialists. The plan addresses significant regional disparities, particularly in the southern region's neurology sector. To achieve these goals, the ministry will use financial incentives and expand training programs, while also increasing medical school admissions. The full impact on patient access is not expected to be immediate.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel aims to increase its specialist doctors by 57% to over 32,000 by 2035.
- The plan seeks to address significant regional disparities in doctor distribution.
- The southern region's neurology sector is projected to reach only 38% of its 2035 target.
- Financial incentives and expanded training programs will be used to encourage work in underserved areas.
- Medical school enrollment is increasing, with a goal of 2,000 new students by 2030.
- The public will not immediately feel the impact of the increased doctor numbers.
Israel's Ministry of Health has revealed its first national targets for increasing the number of specialist physicians by 2035, aiming for a 57% rise in their total numbers. The plan anticipates adding over 11,000 specialists within the decade. However, a key challenge remains ensuring equitable distribution, as current projections show significant disparities, with the southern region only expected to reach 38% of its future neurology target. Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov acknowledged that the public will not feel the immediate impact of these changes.
The ministry forecasts that the total number of doctors in Israel will grow from approximately 37,000 to 53,000 by 2035, with specialists increasing from about 20,300 to 32,000. Factoring in population growth and aging, this translates to an estimated 31% increase in specialists per capita and a 16% rise in overall doctors per capita. The realization of these projections depends on the completion of training programs, the capacity to absorb trainees, and physician retention within the system.
A stark example of the existing imbalance is in neurology, where the southern district currently stands at 38% of its 2035 target, compared to 85% in the central district. The ministry's goal is to achieve a uniform rate of specialists per capita across all regions and medical fields, necessitating a disproportionately larger increase in underserved areas.
Specific targets include increasing internal medicine specialists from around 3,880 in 2025 to 6,100 in 2035, family medicine from 2,630 to 4,530, and pediatrics from 2,750 to 4,030. Rachel Brenner Shalom, Deputy Director General for Strategic Planning and Economics, described past development as unplanned and stated the current initiative aims to rectify this.
To encourage doctors to work in underserved areas, the ministry plans to offer financial incentives to hospitals, healthcare providers, and physicians, expand programs promoting peripheral employment, and foster integrated training between major and peripheral hospitals. Bar Siman Tov also highlighted ongoing negotiations for a new salary agreement as a means to incentivize choices in needed specialties and locations. Concurrently, medical school enrollment is expanding, with plans to reach 2,000 first-year students by 2030, up from about 1,650 this year and 820 in 2020.
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