A Picture of the Nation 2023: Health

Three years after the outbreak of the pandemic, the healthcare system continues to deal with the challenges that it faced prior to the crisis, and in particular health disparities, both in health outcomes and in manpower and budgets. The budget for the healthcare services basket has eroded continually and is not updated according to those measures recommended by many professional committees over the years. Low public expenditure leads to long waiting times for appointments and consultations, to workforce shortages, and to shortages in essential equipment. All of this is even more evident in the periphery of the country. Of particular concern in recent years is the sharp rise in narcotic pain medication consumption (opioids) in Israel. In 2020, Israel placed first worldwide in prescription opioid consumption, in particular due to a sharp increase in the use of fentany