In the shadow of the war and the large number of wounded requiring physiotherapy and occupational therapy, as well as the decision to cut across-the-board government offices, the recommendations of the inter-ministerial team's report on examining and implementing measures to deal with manpower gaps in the health professions were published today.
The report, which was circulated, almost a year after the government's decision on February 20, 2022, flattens the plan for dealing with manpower gaps in the health professions. The policy formulated to solve the manpower problem in the medical professions is the result of the joint work of the Government and Society Division in the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security, and the Ministry of Finance.
Shortage of medical personnel engaged in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, photo: Gil Dor
The plan that was formulated lays a foundation of professional principles, the purpose of which is to indicate a marker for government policy in the coming years. All this is done in order to cope, in the short and medium to long term, with the manpower gaps in the physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy professions.
The team's conclusions indicate, among other things, the need to combine training at a scale that is in line with market needs and the creation of an incentive system that will encourage professionals to work in the public sector, and will succeed in retaining them over time.
Meanwhile, the report states that increasing the viability of work in the public sector will be achieved, inter alia, through remuneration, incentives and improvement of workers' conditions, as well as through adjustment between workers' needs and public sector employment conditions.
The physiotherapists' protest (archive), photo: Jonathan Zindel
The report also shows that bureaucracy for citizens and the health system should be streamlined and reduced, with an emphasis on strengthening the data infrastructure and improving inter-ministerial work.
In response to the publication of the report, Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, Yossi Shelly, said: "The publication of the report of recommendations is important in routine times, and even more so in times of emergency. The recommendations have the potential to assist the rehabilitation efforts after the events of October 7 and to ensure an appropriate medical response for all citizens of the State of Israel in the medium and long term. The report also integrates efforts in the short term and from a medium- and long-term perspective at the lateral government level, and in laying infrastructures for joint work in social fields and streamlining the work of social services."
Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, Yossi Shelly (Archive), Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Ministry of Health Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov added in response to the report: "The Ministry of Health sees great importance in the work of health professionals in the fields of physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy and their contribution to health promotion, quality of life improvement and utilization of their abilities of involvement and participation in daily life. This contribution is even more noticeable these days, when the system is dealing with hundreds of wounded from the battlefield."
Director General of the Ministry of Health, Moshe Bar Siman Tov (archive), photo: David Vaknin
The Director General of the Ministry of Health added: "The issue of manpower gaps in these professions is a complex issue stemming from a collection of different problems and challenges, and we welcome the significant engagement in this issue. Treatment that includes formulating professional recommendations and laying the foundation Policy measures are required in the coming years in order to cope with the expected challenges. The Ministry of Health is committed to implementing the recommendations of the summary report for the work of the inter-ministerial team and is working to obtain the budget required for its implementation in the health system."
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