Health minister’s intervention highlights Israel’s protekzia problem, healthcare gaps - editorial
The question raised by this story is not whether Katz helped a sick Israeli. He did. The question is what happens to the sick Israeli who does not have access to the health minister.
A haredi journalist defended Health Minister Haim Katz from what she called Israeli media's "derisive" treatment of him. The story she shared inadvertently highlighted a deeper issue with Israel's healthcare system. Despite Katz's busy schedule overseeing multiple ministries, the journalist demonstrated his capability to get things done by helping her uncle access radiation therapy urgently.
The next available appointment for her uncle was only three weeks away, so she contacted Katz directly. Katz responded quickly, securing an appointment for her uncle the following morning at Sheba Medical Center. While acknowledging the minister's contribution, the writer raised concerns about Israel's healthcare access - a sick man needed a personal connection to jump through bureaucratic hoops.
Not every Israeli has a relative or friend in power to intervene. Most enter the system like everyone else, waiting, appealing, and being transferred between departments. When the system is stretched thin, those without connections have limited options. The writer argued that Israel's cultural tendency towards "protekzia" - using personal connections to get things done - is problematic when medical treatment is at stake.
It's a troubling reminder that even with a minister's intervention, there are still countless patients who suffer without access to timely care.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
