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Health Ministry reports show varying hospital wait times across Israel
Two Health Ministry reports detail wait times for MRI scans and planned surgeries at public hospitals. Data show differences by insurance provider, region, and facility. Israel recorded shorter average waits than OECD averages for several procedures.
Jul 14, 3:31 AM·1m read1 source
JE
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Two Health Ministry reports published on July 14, 2026, document wait times for MRI examinations and 19 types of planned surgeries performed at public hospitals. The MRI report covers 2025 data. Half of patients received scans within 35 days of referral, while a quarter waited more than 80 days.
The average wait reached 55.1 days. Wait times differed by insurance provider. Clalit recorded the longest average at 63.7 days. Maccabi averaged 50.6 days, Leumit 46.4 days, and Meuhedet 35.5 days.
Surgical procedure waits The second report examined planned surgeries at 28 public hospitals in 2024. Cataract surgery waits ranged from 22 days at Laniado to 202 days at Carmel. Hernia repair waits reached 114 days at Carmel and 13 days at Barzilai.
Pediatric ear tube surgeries recorded waits of 129 days at Soroka and seven days at Ichilov. Knee replacement waits ranged from 166 days at Soroka to 14 days at Ziv.
International comparison The Health Ministry stated that Israel recorded shorter average waits than OECD countries for cataract surgery, prostate removal, hysterectomy, hip replacement, and knee replacement. The ministry plans to expand future measurements to include time from physician decision to surgery.
