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Sheba medical aid team delegation to Nepal

April 27, 2015

When the news broke about the catastrophic magnitude of the earthquake disaster in Nepal, immediate preparations started at Sheba to send out a medical aid delegation team.

A set-back for the flights from Israel was caused by bad landing conditions in Katmandu. Finally, on the evening of the 27th of April, the last plane took off, carrying army personnel, medical equipment and supplies. 24 hours later now, the set-up of an Israeli field hospital is under way.

Prof. Eli Schwartz, the director of Sheba’s Travel Clinic, is heading the delegation. Prof. Schwarz has deep knowledge of Nepal, where he used to live for two years in its capital city Katmandu. During this time he worked at an American medical center, specialized in travel medicine, and accumulated rich experience in the treatment of tropical diseases and travel medicine.

Despite the fact that this is the fourth time for him to participate in such a delegation, he stressed that this time it felt totally different. “It’s like returning to your second home where only pictures of collapsed preciousness greet you.” Back home in Israel, Prof. Schwartz continued to stay in close touch with his colleagues from the time he used to live in Nepal. “I heard from friends that the destruction was enormous but that the extent of it was not clear and could not be estimated yet. To my great joy and relief, my friends survived and were not injured.”

The Sheba team Prof. Schwartz is heading: Dr. Alex Zendel, surgeon in the Surgical Department C; Dr. Shir Dar, gynecologist from the OB/GYN Division; Sarit Skiano, chief nurse of the Cardiology Department; Orna Tsruya, chief Pediatric ER nurse in the Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, who participated in the past in a medical aid delegation to the Philippines; Assaf Luttinger, units coordinator for intensive care treatments; and Ilya Turian, medical equipment technician.

 

Published @ Sheba Medical Center

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