The Jerusalem Post
By Greer Fay Cashman, published November 2, 2022
MANY PEOPLE who are involved in charitable causes did not give much thought to them until they or a member of their family was helped by that particular cause.
This is particularly the case with hospitals where patients who never gave much thought to any life-threatening illness are suddenly stricken with one, and have their lives saved by a certain hospital. We see it all the time during breast cancer awareness month, diabetes awareness, and in the cases of other illnesses that make no distinction between different socioeconomic and intellectual classes. Anyone and everyone can become a victim to any number of diseases, some of which are fatal. But some can be arrested or cured.
“The hospital literally saved my life.” Those were the words that resonated around the hall of the Leonardo Plaza Hotel in Netanya from a recovered patient, after more than a year of hospitalization and rehabilitation in the intensive care unit of the Laniado Medical Center in Netanya.
The patient’s wife, who had that same day been moved out of the intensive care unit and into the surgery ward, echoed the sentiment. Both husband and wife had been in critical condition and had been maintained on life-support equipment, for prolonged periods.
Their praise for the devoted and skilled attention received from their doctors and other medical staff resonated with the nearly 200 guests at the annual dinner of the Netanya Supporters of Laniado Hospital.
Guests were welcomed by Tony Plaskow, chairperson of the Supporters Board, at the first fundraising dinner to be held in three years. The gap was due to COVID. Progress and update reports were given by Laniado CEO Nadav Chen, and Eli Knoller, director of development and community relations.
Laniado Medical Center provides care and treatment for the 500,000 people living in greater Netanya and the surrounding Sharon region.
In recent years, there has been intense development and expansion of facilities in the hospital’s 60 departments and units. This includes the completion of the new protected and advanced dialysis unit, capable of continuous operation even under emergency situations, new sheltered delivery and emergency rooms and a sheltered neonatal department, plus increased maternity and obstetrics services, and extended oncology and plastic surgery departments.
Academic teaching and training activities were also much expanded, due to a cooperation agreement with the Adelson Faculty of Medicine at Ariel University.
Mention was also made of the recently released Health Ministry quality index report that commended Laniado’s emergency medicine department for providing patients with initial treatment within just four minutes of entering.
A new, technically advanced, 17-bed intensive care department is presently being developed. The proceeds of this year’s fundraising dinner and brochure are directed to the $100,000 purchase of the latest cutting-edge medical equipment for each of the rooms. The ICU is one of the most crucial features of any hospital in saving the lives of those most desperately in need of treatment. The furnishing of these rooms will be dedicated to the memory of the late Rabbi Natan and Rachail Morowitz, who for many years devoted themselves to unceasing work for Laniado and the community.
The activities and needs of the intensive care department were described by its head, Dr. Maury Shapira. Guests were entertained by the popular Kippalive Israeli a cappella group.
To read the article press the link:
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-721205
