Israel Reports Longest MRI Wait Times in Southern District and Cataract Surgery as Most Common Procedure

The Israeli Ministry of Health released a detailed report on healthcare wait times, highlighting MRI and elective surgery delays across the country. The average wait time from doctor referral to MRI scan is 55.1 days nationwide. Clalit Health Services conducted the highest number of MRI scans (281,303) but had the longest average wait at 63.7 days. Maccabi averaged 50.6 days, Meuhedet had the shortest wait at 35.5 days, and Leumit averaged 46.6 days. The most common MRI scans were neurological (266,612) and musculoskeletal (127,182). The longest waits were for women's health MRIs (66.6 days) and abdominal-pelvic scans (65.5 days), while musculoskeletal scans had the shortest wait at 42.9 days.

Regionally, the Southern District recorded the longest average MRI wait at 60.3 days, while the Northern District had the shortest at 50.3 days. Jerusalem had the highest rate of patients completing MRIs within their district (94.18%), whereas only about 50% of patients in the Central District did so. The West Bank and Samaria have no MRI machines, so patients travel mainly to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for scans. In 2025, Israel performed 570,076 outpatient MRI scans, with a national rate of 58.1 scans per 1,000 insured individuals, and women undergoing more scans than men (63.1% vs. 52.9%).

Regarding elective surgeries, cataract removal was the most frequent with 32,506 cases and a median wait of 50 days; 27.2% waited over three months. Hernia repairs averaged 52 days of wait, while tonsillectomies had a longer average wait of 78 days, with 44% waiting more than 90 days. The longest wait was for nasal septum correction surgery, averaging 89 days, with nearly half waiting over three months. Colon resections had one of the shortest waits at 27 days. Notably, some hospitals reported extreme delays: Hadassah Ein Kerem and Galilee Medical Center had nasal septum surgery waits of 260 and 250 days respectively, and Carmel Hospital had cataract surgery waits of 202 days. Knee replacement wait times ranged from 166 days at Soroka Medical Center to just two weeks at Ziv Medical Center.

Compared internationally, Israel's median cataract surgery wait is 50 days versus 68 days in OECD countries, and knee replacement wait is 70 days compared to 199 days in the OECD. The number of MRI machines in Israel increased from 10 in 2008 to over 70 in 2025, demonstrating high efficiency and shorter wait times than countries like Canada, Sweden, and Norway.