[TRENDS IN THE RATE OF OCCUPATIONAL PHYSICIANS VERSUS MANPOWER IN ISRAEL - STATUS AND SOLUTIONS]

The specialization in occupational health was recognized in Israel in 1990. The number of specialists grew gradually over the years, yet a systematic analysis of occupational health physicians (OHP)/workers' ratio was never conducted.

To determine the trends of OHP/workers' ratio in Israel and the future activities needed in order to achieve the standards of developed countries.

The socio-demographic data was obtained by personal communication, from the Israeli Association of Occupational Medicine and Maccabi Health Services. The remaining data was obtained from publications of the Ministry of Health and the National Insurance Institute.

By March 2014, 157 OHPs were registered in Israel, 104 active specialists and 25 residents. Among the specialists, 78 worked in the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), 18 in the public sector (other than HMOs) and 8 in the private sector. Even though the number of workers rises every year, the number of OHP has remained stable in the last 10 years, around 90-100 physicians. The ratio of occupational health physicians/workers in the HMOs is 1:48,000.

The ratio of OHP/workers in Israel is comparable to the ratio in developing countries and 8-10 times less in comparison to the developed countries with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) similar to Israel. The rate has decreased since 2007. The reason for the stable numbers is the lack of payments by the employers and the fact that the subject has been ignored by the regulatory authorities.

The way to improve this situation is by doubling the number of residents every year by providing the required resources to support this new arrangement. The funds have to come from the employers, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Health.