Oraine Yaffe, a 26-year-old from Acre, struggled to find appropriate treatment for her colitis due to difficulties in accessing care in the public healthcare system. She eventually had to seek care from a private doctor, highlighting the importance of timely and comprehensive care for patients with chronic illnesses. Yaffe’s experience underscores the impact on quality of life and mental health.
Raziel Hadad, a 22-year-old diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, also faced challenges in accessing care due to a shortage of gastroenterologists in his area. He struggled to find a specialist doctor, resulting in delays in diagnosis and treatment. Even after diagnosis, he faced long wait times for appointments and a lack of psychological support. Hadad’s experience emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary care teams and dedicated units for inflammatory bowel diseases.
Recent studies have shown an increase in the number of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases in Israel, underscoring the importance of providing timely and effective treatment. However, challenges remain such as disparities in care between different regions, limited access to mental health support and recruiting specialist doctors are major obstacles that need to be addressed. Advocates stress the importance of addressing these issues to ensure that all patients receive timely and effective treatment.
Dr. Saleh Daher, a gastroenterologist explains that inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and colitis pose unique challenges for patients. He emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary care teams and dedicated units for these conditions to provide comprehensive care that addresses not only physical symptoms but also mental health concerns.
Barzilai Hospital and Emek Medical Center have responded by addressing efforts to improve care for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases by establishing dedicated units but still face challenges such as recruiting specialist doctors and providing comprehensive care across different regions.
In conclusion, there is still much work to be done in improving access to specialized medical care for patients with chronic illnesses like Crohn’s disease or colitis. The lack of dedicated units for these conditions can result in delayed diagnoses or untreated symptoms which can negatively impact quality of life and mental health.
Therefore it is essential that governments prioritize funding towards establishing specialized units or clinics where patients can receive prompt attention from medical professionals who specialize in treating their specific condition. Additionally increasing availability of psychological support services is crucial as well.
It is important that healthcare providers continue working together towards finding solutions that will help those who suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases receive timely treatment so they can live healthy lives without constant discomfort or fear of flare-ups.
