In
response to figures released by the Council for Higher Education's
Planning and Budgeting Committee, suggesting that in the next 10 years
Israel will experience a serious shortage of doctors, Nefesh B'Nefesh
is teaming up with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Immigrant
Absorption to bring an increased number of western doctors to Israel.
According to the report, due to a projected population increase –
especially among the elderly — coupled with the noticeable trend of
doctors leaving the medical profession, the current ratio of 3.5
physicians for every 1,000 Israelis is predicted to plummet to less
than 2.5 per thousand in the next few years.
The Physician Aliyah
Fellowship is now being introduced by Nefesh B’Nefesh to encourage
North American and British physicians to move to Israel by providing
significant grants. The grants, in the form of an initial fellowship
upon arrival in Israel, and monthly supplementary income for the first
two years, total approximately $60,000. These grants are available for
doctors under the age of 45 who have completed their training in North
America and the UK and are willing to practice at least nine months a
year in Israel.
“Nefesh B’Nefesh recognizes the seriousness of
this national need and is honored to be able to leverage our existing
infrastructure to strengthen the medical community here,” said Rabbi
Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive Director of Nefesh B’Nefesh.
“While currently many physicians making Aliyah prefer to continue their
practices abroad, this fellowship will enable doctors to remain in
Israel and sustain their careers domestically.”
Support
for the Physician Aliyah Fellowship has been made possible by Legacy
Heritage Fund Limited – Keren Morasha of New York and Jerusalem, in
partnership with Nefesh B’Nefesh, who have helped close to 90 doctors
make Aliyah to date.
Israeli Minister of Immigrant Absorption,
Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galil, MK Yacov Edery:
“The standard of medicine practiced in Israel is one of the highest in
the world, partly due to the 20,000 doctors who have made Aliyah over
the years. We need to continue to promote the Aliyah of doctors from
around the world and to maintain the level of medicine practiced here.
The concerning shortage of doctors anticipated in the next few years
compels the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption to join this initiative
and allocate funds to ensure physicians’ successful absorption into the
Israeli health system.”
For more information, please visit www.nbn.org.il.