Members and donors from all over the world are making it possible for Hadassah’s Jerusalem hospitals to both treat severely injured patients now and prepare for what comes next.
“We, as one Hadassah, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support and generosity during the challenging times of this horrific Gaza war,” said Dr. Manno (Micky) Saks, president of Hadassah International, during a live public briefing on Thursday.
Needs, however, continue to grow, including the critical need to expedite the expansion of two state-of-the-art underground emergency facilities at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus and Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem.
Equipment and supplies are also needed to help the Hadassah Medical Organization save the lives of some of the most severely injured patients in Israel, said Suzie Patt Benvenisti, executive director of Hadassah’s Israel offices. For instance, the hospitals had to purchase new orthopedic drills after the first few days of conflict because they had been used so extensively, she said.
“The best way to support is through monetary donations,” Patt Benvenisti said. “We can take those funds and direct them to the hospitals’ most critical needs.”
Additionally during the briefing, Prof. Yoram Weiss, director general of the Hadassah Medical Organization, shared an update on patient care; Estelle Rubinstein, director of social work, talked about the psychological services the hospitals are providing; and Michal Alon, a Hadassah patient, shared how the hospital staff helped her recover from a traumatic experience.
Alon, a nurse, was brought to Hadassah Ein Kerem after being shot multiple times by a terrorist dressed as an Israeli soldier while trying to save the life of a female soldier on an army base. She was there with her husband and eight of her 10 children to lead Simchat Torah programming.
When help finally arrived, she was evacuated to one hospital and then another, and then ultimately brought to Hadassah to address her complex injuries. She is expected to soon move from Hadassah Ein Kerem to Hadassah Mount Scopus to begin rehabilitation.
For more than a century, Hadassah has stood by Israel through its most tumultuous times and will continue to do so, said Dianne Gottlieb, national chair of the Hadassah Medical Organization.
“We need your generosity. Stand with Israel. Stand with Hadassah. Stand with our 6,000 Hadassah workers including doctors, nurses and social workers,” Gottlieb said, “and help heal Israel now.”
Read more about how your donations are helping to save lives.