Israel Faces Severe Midwife Shortage Impacting Maternal and Infant Care

Yuval Yaffe Mushkovitz, CEO of the Midwives Organization in Israel, highlighted the ongoing shortage of midwife positions in the country during a 2025 interview with Channel 7. Despite midwives and medical teams performing admirably under difficult conditions, there is a 20% deficit in midwife staffing. Each year, 150 new midwives graduate, but there are insufficient positions for them to join the workforce.

Mushkovitz explained that while shortages affect various hospital departments, the maternity wards face unique challenges due to the critical nature of care for mothers and newborns. Currently, one midwife often cares for three to four women simultaneously, which compromises the quality of care. She emphasized that optimal care requires more comprehensive support, including familiarity with the mother's medical history, calming explanations of the birth process, and understanding her personal values to provide appropriate medical and psychological care.

The OECD recommends one midwife per mother, sometimes two, a standard met by countries like the Netherlands. However, Israel's high fertility rate complicates meeting this benchmark. Data from the Freedom of Information Movement in 2025 revealed that existing midwife positions are often filled by service women, medical secretaries, and auxiliary staff, who assist but do not replace professional midwives. This shortage leads to less time for mothers with midwives, resulting in reduced explanations, support during labor, and professional attention.

Mushkovitz warned that insufficient midwife care increases medical interventions during childbirth, such as epidurals, vacuum deliveries, and cesarean sections, which could be avoided with proper midwife support. She also criticized the allocation of over 18,000 shekels per birth paid by the government to hospitals, arguing that more funds should be directed toward expanding midwife staffing rather than hospital aesthetics or room design.