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A Medical Mission of Pride and Promise

(Jerusalem Post) Dr. Jonathan Halevy - From CBS to CNN to MSNBC, wide-eyed medical reporters have been witnessing the Israeli operation in Haiti with an underlying tone of combined admiration and jealousy. With relief delegations of all shapes and sizes, it's the Israelis who travel halfway around the world and within hours have a fully operational hospital in place. Journalists ask outright why anyone else can't be doing this. Admittedly, our adeptness in launching these types of operations stems from a history of confronting hostilities. Those of us involved in emergency management and disaster response know all too well that Israel has a unique advantage over most, if not all, nations in this discipline. Our protocols and emergency departments have become models for hospitals all around the world. The IDF Home Front Command has made it a principal training objective to remain ever-ready for all types of disasters. The world has quickly learned that the "successes" we are achieving in Haiti have come because we appreciated the continuous need for this type of training. Even more so, it is recognizing that we have a role in contributing to the greater welfare of the international community. The writer is director-general of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
2010-01-25 08:39:35
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