Erfolgreich durch internationale Zusammenarbeit

Editorial

Cite as: Archiv EuroMedica. 2022. 12; sp: e1. DOI 10.35630/2199-885X/2022/12/sp.iss.ed

MILITARY FIELD HOSPITAL "KOHAV MEIR" (ISRAEL) IN UKRAINE

Michael Dubilet

Department of Anestiology, Critical Care and Pain, Soroka Medical Center, Ben Gurion University, Beersheba, Israel

download article (pdf)

   MichaelDu@clalit.org.il

Dear Colleagues!

First of all I would like to wish the end of this bloody and terrible war and the victory of Ukraine I am a doctor from Israel, native of the former Soviet Union - the Republic of Kazakhstan. Recently, it has been often said that Israel does not help the people of Ukraine and that my country has chosen a “wrong side of the history”. I disagree and would like to explain that it is not true! Practically from the first day of the war Israel has sent humanitarian aid. Employees of the Foreign Ministry of Israel worked in shifts on the borders of Hungary and Slovakia, Romania and Poland coordinating delivery of medical equipment, generators, clothing sets. Israel is the only country, who has set up a fully functional field hospital "Kohav Meir" (Shining Star) and provided real medical care in real time… As our Prime Minister said on the ceremony before our team flew to the field hospital: «We are doing this for Ukrainian children, but our children should know that the state of Israel is never staying aside. If there is suffering and horror, we are stretching out a hand of compassion and do everything in our might to help". And we have done our utmost to mitigate the suffering of the patients and to train local doctors to use advanced methods of emergency medicine.

The hospital "Kohav Meir" was set up in a small town Mostiska, hour and half drive from Lviv, to the West of Ukraine. It functioned 8 weeks. On 19 March the flag of Israel was raised together with the flag of Ukraine at the elementary school, on premises which the hospital was built. Its costs was 21 mln shekels (6,5 mln dollars). 17 tons of equipment were delivered through the polish border.

The field hospital was created with joint efforts of Ministry of Health Care, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sheba Medical Center which managed the hospital. The hospital was funded by the government of Israel, Charles and Lynn Shusterman Family Foundation and American Jewish United Distribution Committee. On April, 22 the mission was completed and the Israel Flag was lowered. The hospital had an emergency room, surgery and orthopedics units, as well as specialists: otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, psychotherapists, gynecologists, obstetricians and midwives; pediatric wards and an operational block. Some operations were carried out under supervision of Sheba hospital. Up to 5-6 surgeries were performed daily: orthopedics, surgery, gynecology … Each night and day there were alarm sirens, Lviv was shelled by rockets but the hospital was going on with its humanitarian mission. During that time Israeli doctors and nurses had treated 6000 patients and performed more than 50 surgical procedures.

Once again I wish Ukrainian people and our colleagues peace and the end of this horrible war. We are a small country but our hearts are always open for help!

 

back