State Comptroller Reports Staffing Shortages and Management Gaps in Medical Rehabilitation of Iron Swords War Wounded

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman released a report on Tuesday detailing the medical rehabilitation of approximately 20,000 soldiers and security personnel wounded during the Iron Swords War. The report highlights a pre-existing shortage of thousands of healthcare professionals in physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy within the public sector, which worsened the rehabilitation capacity during the conflict. In 2020, shortages included 1,947 physiotherapists, 2,189 speech therapists, and 2,570 occupational therapists, alongside hundreds of rehabilitation psychologists and at least 200 rehabilitation doctors, according to various professional estimates.

The report reveals that about 1,660 wounded soldiers were hospitalized in rehabilitation wards from October 2023 to July 2025, with 72% treated in three central Israeli hospitals, primarily Sheba Medical Center (47%). A statistical inverse correlation was found at Sheba between the number of war wounded hospitalized and the average daily treatments per patient, with treatment rates dropping below the standard during peak admissions. Additionally, many patients living far from Sheba had higher hospitalization rates, impacting resource allocation.

Despite Ministry of Health directives in November 2023 to avoid reducing hospital beds, Sheba converted two internal geriatric wards into rehabilitation wards without approval, reducing geriatric care capacity and affecting elderly patients. The Comptroller criticized the Ministry of Health for lacking updated staffing standards since 2003 and insufficient computerized data systems to monitor rehabilitation treatment quality and patient flow, which hampers efficient management and decision-making.

Regarding the Ministry of Defense, as of August 2025, medical committees to assess all war wounded had not yet been established, delaying disability recognition and benefits for many veterans. About 2,200 out of 7,000 disability recognition requests had been pending for over a year. The Defense Rehabilitation Division also lacks measurable goals for its customer relations unit and adequate computerized systems to manage medical committee scheduling, further slowing processes.

The Comptroller recommended that the Ministries of Health and Defense, the IDF, and hospitals improve data sharing, develop operational plans for national rehabilitation management during emergencies, and upgrade computerized systems to optimize resource use and treatment quality. The Ministry of Health responded that despite challenges, it expanded rehabilitation capacity rapidly during the war, investing over 250 million NIS in new beds, day rehabilitation centers, workforce training, and information systems. It also initiated systemic learning processes to strengthen the rehabilitation system for future emergencies.