Israel’s Defense Ministry has warned that the number of war-injured soldiers has increased so much that the entire system of their rehabilitation may soon break down. After the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, 26,200 IDF soldiers and security personnel have been injured so far. 65% of these soldiers are suffering from mental health problems. Like PTSD (trauma), anxiety, depression and difficulty in returning to civilian life etc. The ministry estimates that by 2026 the total number of injured soldiers will exceed 90,000.
By 2028 this number will reach close to 1 lakh. About half of these people may struggle with psychological problems. According to the Defense Ministry, about 17,000 of those injured since October 7 are suffering from psychological injuries. Of these, 7,700 people have also suffered physical injuries, while about 9,000 people are being treated only for physical injuries.
It is very important to implement the recommendations
Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram has warned that not implementing the public committee’s recommendations is ‘not an option’. The committee’s proposals included increasing the budget of the Rehabilitation Department, appointing a special personal case manager for each injured veteran, and expanding psychological treatment options.
Baram said that both the Defense Minister and the Finance Minister have welcomed the findings of the committee. “We will all be judged on results and implementation, not on statements,” Baram said. He further said that if no action was taken, “this sensitive national system of rehabilitation of war wounded, which is performing a sacred function, could collapse under the burden.”
92 percent of patients are men
Of the patients, 92 percent are men and 8 percent are women and almost half of the new patients are below 30 years of age. During the war, the Rehabilitation Division has greatly expanded the scope of its help. It has quadrupled its mental health staff to nearly 4,000 professionals and tripled the number of rehabilitation homes. The ministry has also created nine rehabilitation farms across the country, a mobile mental health crisis unit and a dedicated nursing department for young patients, although it says a broader national response is still needed given the scale of need.
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