Israel to expand medical device access in periphery to boost healthcare

The Health Committee approved increasing the number of licenses for operating special medical devices in Israel's periphery on Sunday. Six CT machines, ten MRI devices, and a pair of cardiac and vascular catheterization X-ray systems have been added to the healthcare system.

On October 31, 2024, Health Minister Uriel Busso submitted to the Knesset Health Committee a draft amendment to regulations dealing with these device systems, including computerized tomography scanners (CT), magnetic resonance imaging devices (MRI), X-ray systems for cardiac and vascular catheterization, X-ray systems for head imaging and catheterization, and robotic system for remote surgeries. State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman found in May that the number of MRI and CT devices per million people in Israel is still lower than in most OECD countries.

According to a Knesset Research and Information Center document, based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics from late 2023, there was one CT device per 103,000 people (96 devices) before the addition. Now, there will be one device per 100,000 people (98 devices).

MRI scanners are also increasing their per capita ratio, with the number before the change at one device per 161,000 people (61 devices) and after the change at one device per 156,000 people (63 devices).

There is also an upward trend in cardiac and vascular catheterization X-ray systems, with one device per 200,000 people before the change (49 devices) and one device per 192,000 people (51 devices) after.

Before the change, there was one device per million people, with a total of about ten devices in the field of head X-ray catheterizations. In contrast, after the change, the quantitative restrictions were removed. Similarly, in the field of robotic systems for remote surgeries, before the change, there were six systems with an option to expand to ten, with restrictions being removed after the change.

Meanwhile, before the addition, there were six hyperbaric chambers, two in each region - north, center, and south. After the change, their number increased to ten chambers, with a new distribution of three in the north, four in the center, and three in the south. PET-CT devices were not included in the current amendment, and the existing number currently stands at 17 devices, with one device per 475,000 people.

In discussions at the Health Ministry before bringing the regulations for approval in the Knesset, the Health Minister instructed to find ways and solutions to bring the devices to hospitals and make them available in the system as quickly as possible, and even requested to examine time limits on issuing licenses for bringing the devices and starting their operation.

The Minister welcomed the approval of the regulations and the addition of devices in the periphery, whose locations will be determined in the coming months. "The development in the field and the proven efficiency of the technology has made imaging technology a central means in the health world and an important tool for detecting diseases and complex risk situations," he said.

MK Yoni Mashriki

Committee Chairman MK Yoni Mashriki added that "expanding the number of special devices is not just a matter of upgrading the healthcare system, but a step aimed at ensuring that every citizen, regardless of their place of residence or economic status, can receive advanced and accessible medical treatment."

In Israel, the number of PET-CT devices per million people is higher than in three out of 13 countries examined - Poland, the Czech Republic, and Greece. For example, in Israel, there are 6.6 MRI devices per million people, while in the US, there are 38 devices per million. Although the number of devices in Israel is relatively low, their utilization is higher compared to the countries examined, meaning the number of examinations per device in Israel is significantly higher.

The low number of devices in Israel and the high demand for examinations force imaging institutes to operate the devices throughout all hours of the day, and sometimes, patients must be examined during night hours.

The audit revealed that the Health Ministry does not have multi-year plans for equipping imaging devices. In fact, since 2013, the ministry has not bothered to submit such a multi-year plan to the Knesset Health Committee, except for MRI, which was presented in 2015.

The Health Ministry responded, "The Ministry of Health is constantly working to improve the availability of medical services and reduce inequality in the system. Israel currently has 61 active MRI devices licensed by the Ministry of Health, with the decision on device distribution being made after a national needs assessment and in accordance with public health regulations."