Severe Shortage of Pathologists Threatens Israel’s Health System—Especially Cancer Testing
Israel currently has about half the pathologists per capita as does the United States
Inadequate numbers of pathologists will soon threaten the quality and integrity of clinical pathology laboratory testing in the nation of Israel. That’s the assertion of leading pathologists, who point out that oncology, cancer testing, and molecular diagnostics are likely to be the most threatened by the shortage of experienced pathologists in Israel.
There are only 119 pathologists in Israel, most of whom are over the age of 50. That is one reason why health leaders in that country fear what lies ahead if pathologist understaffing is not addressed by the Israeli health system. According to a recent article in The Jerusalem Post, the decreasing numbers of pathologists—already at dangerously low levels—threatens to erode the quality of medical laboratory testing services in what has been a thriving medical community.
