Psychiatrists leaving 'Israel' for UK plunges system deeper in crisis
4 Min Read
This, coupled with rising mental health crises as a result of the war on Gaza, has the mental healthcare system in "Israel" spiraling down.
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Israelis cry at a funeral on October 17, 2023 (AP)
According to sector sources, dozens of psychiatrists working in "Israel's" public mental health system have lately left for Britain.
In the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, ERAN, "Israel's Emotional first aid service", reported a spike in demand for psychological and PTSD treatment among Israelis, reaching 100,000 requests.
Israeli media reported a surge in mental health disorders among Israeli settlers, noting that Israeli reports of psychological breakdowns are on the rise.
On December 23, a poll conducted by Gallup showed that "the mental health of Israelis is worse than ever" in the wake of Al-Aqsa Flood.
Last week, the chiefs of mental health clinics wrote to State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman, saying, "Israel's mental health system is close to complete collapse."
According to sources in the mental healthcare system, many of the doctors departing were thinking of doing so before the increased workload that came after October 7, amid Netanyahu's judicial reform fiasco.
Hundreds of psychiatrists have taken the license exam to practice medicine in the United Kingdom in recent months. Twelve of them have already stated their intention to depart.
However, a senior administrator in the mental health system in "Israel" expressed that their intentions were not based on a better salary but rather "frustration over the heavy workload" and a worsening situation that has occurred since the war on Gaza began.
1 psychiatrist for every 11,705 Israelis
According to a medical workforce survey provided by the Health Ministry a year ago, the number of psychiatrists per capita in "Israel" has declined by 19% over the last decade. The "National Institute for Health Services and Health Policy Research" reported that "Israel" has one psychiatrist for every 11,705 people.
According to Dr. Shmuel Hirschmann, president of the Mental Health Center Directors' Forum, the system is short 400 doctors, with numbers expected to double in 5 years due to many reaching retirement age.
In a letter for the state comptroller, the forum expressed last Thursday that the situation was "desperate", detailing how there are "not enough professionals to handle all those who seek help."
"Waiting times for treatment are extremely long, sometimes a year or more; the number of psychiatrists per capita has dropped sharply due to a mass exodus into the private sector; [there is] a severe shortage of inpatient staff and poor conditions at existing hospitals."
Since the war on Gaza began, an additional 300,000 patients have become in need of treatment.
"Furthermore, it is not yet known how many of those fighting in the Gaza Strip will suffer post-war trauma. We have already seen an increase of tens of percent in demand for mental health services," it continued.
The forum's letter warned that the mental health consequences of the war were worrying even now. "We are witnessing high levels of mental health morbidity, suicides, and emergency hospitalizations in inhumane conditions."
The Health Ministry is so desperate to recruit new psychiatrists that it has put forward a plan costing $560 million to increase mental health services and is providing incentive grants to those who will specialize in the field.
Another hurdle is the budget awaiting approval from the Israeli Ministry of Finance, which recently recommended the closing of 10 government ministries to cover the huge bill it has incurred as a result of its brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip.
