Israel Faces Overwhelmed Rehabilitation System with 1,500 New War Injuries Monthly
The rehabilitation system in Israel is under unprecedented strain due to the ongoing Iron Swords war, with the Ministry of Defense's Rehabilitation Department receiving between 1,000 and 1,500 new injured patients every month. This alarming figure was revealed during a Knesset State Control Committee meeting on Tuesday, chaired by MK Alon Schuster, which reviewed the implementation of last month's State Comptroller report on war injury rehabilitation.
Dr. Miriam Pink-Lavi, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Health's Medical Division, presented the national rehabilitation plan developed after the war began. The plan includes an investment exceeding 250 million shekels, expanding rehabilitation beds from 1,004 before the war, developing community and home rehabilitation services, establishing day centers, and implementing digital management systems. However, she stressed that infrastructure expansion alone is insufficient without a significant increase in professional staff.
Liat Gartman, Deputy Head of the Defense Ministry's Rehabilitation Department, warned that without long-term budget approval and increased manpower, the department will not be able to sustain its operations. The department currently uses a "rehabilitation first" model, postponing some medical committees to prioritize immediate medical, rehabilitative, and economic care.
Prof. Ohad Hochman, CEO of Bnei Zion Medical Center, highlighted the severe shortage of healthcare professionals and criticized the current grant system for causing service reductions. Dr. Orly Barak Tzafrir, head of rehabilitation at Ichilov Hospital, noted that resources have shifted towards war casualties at the expense of geriatric patients and called for integrating general and geriatric rehabilitation services, expanding home and community rehabilitation, and increasing support for mild traumatic brain injury victims.
Dana Pinchasov from the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization emphasized the changed profile of injured soldiers, many of whom are reservists requiring full career retraining. She criticized the lack of funding for necessary advanced degrees to facilitate their reintegration into the workforce.
The emotional testimony of Nili Sharabi, mother of severely wounded Givati Brigade soldier Noam, underscored the families' burdens. She described how families have become de facto case managers, navigating complex bureaucracy with health funds, the Defense Ministry, and hospitals, calling for official recognition of family caregivers and appointment of dedicated medical case managers for each severely injured soldier to allow families to focus on support rather than administration.
