Licenses of European doctors could soon be automatically recognized in Israel
MP Dan Illouz's bill automatically recognizing medical licenses has passed its first reading in the Knesset
It's a problem faced by many medical professionals wishing to immigrate to Israel from Europe: the recognition of their licenses and the validation of their academic curriculum in their new country.
Medicine is a regulated profession in Israel, involving a lengthy equivalence procedure leading to a license to practice in the country. But all these administrative formalities could be considerably simplified in the near future.
A bill introduced by MP Dan Illouz of Likud has just passed its first reading in the Knesset. This bill aims to automatically recognize professional licenses in the healthcare field, based on the European model. This model of automatic equivalence, which many professionals believe to be highly effective, has long since proved its worth on the European continent.
The key word? Automatic. Until now, obtaining an equivalence in Israel has been an administrative nightmare that can last for years, discouraging many doctors making their Aliyah (immigration to Israel).
The aim of the bill is to make the process considerably easier, with automatic recognition of the diploma as soon as the European practitioner arrives in Israel. Any new immigrant doctor would then be able to start practicing directly as in any European country, without the administrative hassle that the equivalence process entails.
The bill has just passed its preliminary reading and is now on its way through parliament, with three readings to come in the Knesset and a passage through the committees.
OECD warns Israel of impending doctor shortag
The Likud MP's proposal comes as the OECD warns of a serious shortage of medical personnel, including doctors, in Israel, due to a lack of planning as the population ages.
According to an OECD report released on Thursday, Israel has 10 percent fewer doctors per 1,000 inhabitants than developed countries, with only 3.3 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants on average, compared with 3.7 in other countries.
The report points out that 55 percent of all doctors in 2020 were over 55 years of age, compared with one-third in the year 2000, necessitating a major renewal and urgent training of new doctors to replace those soon to retire.
A recent report by the Ministry of Finance's Commissioner of Budgets, Yogev Gradus, also revealed that a quarter of specialist doctors in hospitals are approaching retirement age.