Soroka Magazine

‏ The Medical Iron Dome of the South

‏ Soroka during Operation Protective Edge: 50 days of fighting, 60 helicopter landings, 1,263 wounded and heroic battles to save soldiers' lives

‏ During Operation Protective Edge, as in previous rounds of fighting in the South, Soroka Medical Center was at the forefront of treating the wounded. But this time, in terms of the scope of activities, this was a war in the fullest sense of the word. The hospital admitted most of the IDF soldiers injured during the operation. During the 50 days of warfare 1,263 injured were treated, among them 777 soldiers and 486 civilians, of whom 60 were severely injured. There were more than 60 helicopter landings on the hospital's helipad, evacuating the wounded from the Gaza Strip. Some 140 surgical procedures were carried out by surgeons from various specialties. Many of the operations were extremely complex and the surgical teams worked with tireless dedication and professional excellence.

‏ The intensive pace of the wounded arriving throughout the day and night and the severity of their injuries were reminiscent of the situation during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, as Soroka’s veteran staff recall. The Trauma Unit, emergency rooms, operating rooms, imaging facilities, labs and hospital wards worked around the clock, providing immediate responses for every patient. The impressive mobilization of all the hospital teams enabled us to provide optimal treatment to the injured, as we continued to deliver medical care to the residents of the Negev—all of this under missile fire and constant concern about family and children at home. Many civilians suffered from emotional trauma and were treated by a staff of psycho-social professionals. ‏ One of the images etched in the national collective memory is that of Omri Michaeli, a reserve soldier in an elite unit, who was treated in the Plastic Surgery Department. Omri was wounded by a bullet in his leg and when taken from the helicopter was covered with an Israeli flag. Colonel Raslan Alian, Golani Brigade Commander, sustained a serious eye injury on the first day of the fighting at Shejaiya. He was treated in the ER and hospitalized in the Ophthalmology Department. Several days later he was discharged and returned to his soldiers in the field. ‏ Another severely injured soldier from the Golani Brigade, Ran Abutbul, arrived with half of his face shattered. A multidisciplinary team, including otorhinolaryngologists, oral and maxillofacial specialists, and plastic surgeons succeeded in restoring his face in a particularly complicated surgery. ‏ Ohad Ben Ishai, a combat soldier in the Egoz Unit, was evacuated with severe head injuries and underwent two complex emergency operations, one after the other, carried out by the neurosurgery medical team. For seemingly endless days he was in a coma and connected to a ventilator, so it was an especially emotional event in the ICU when the staff bid farewell to Ohad and his family as he was transferred for rehabilitation. ‏ Lieutenant Colonel Y., commander of the elite Egoz Unit, arrived at the hospital hovering between life and death. The unique treatment provided by vascular surgeons at Soroka repaired his torn blood vessels by means of catheterization, saving his life. Daniel Fish, a

soldier in an elite unit, was evacuated with severe leg injuries and a shattered right hand. His knees were restored by orthopedic trauma specialists in a series of operations. ‏ Among civilians as well, the heartwarming stories are countless. The story of Rivka Hayisraeli, whose husband Yehuda was evacuated from Gaza with a severe head injury, operated on several times, and hospitalized in critical condition in the ICU, brings tears to the eyes. Rivka, who did not leave his bedside for a moment, gave birth to their son at the adjacent Saban Maternity Center at Soroka. The emotional brit mila, the circumcision ceremony, was conducted next to the ICU, in the presence of Yehuda and dozens of guests of the family, including members of Yehuda's army unit. ‏ It was exactly this intensity that placed Soroka at the center of interest of the media. Local and international news teams broadcast live from the hospital throughout the day and night. Dozens of respected figures came to the hospital, from the President of the State of Israel and the Prime Minister to Knesset members, public officials, artists, and singers. ‏ We witnessed many special moments: soldiers who regained consciousness in the ICU after periods of sedation and mechanical ventilation and immediately asked to return to their units; poignant reunions between patients and their friends who came to visit from the battlefield; entertainers who sang by the bedsides of the injured, warming the hearts of patients and their families; staff members who refused to go home to rest, remaining instead at their posts; hundreds of citizens who came to express their support to the injured soldiers and the staff, bringing them all sorts of treats. Here, in the corridors of Soroka, Israel was at its finest hour—united, mobilized, and strong. ‏ These were truly exceptional days at Soroka and they will have a place of honor in the hospital's history. While the soldiers were fighting in Gaza for us, we were fighting for the lives of their comrades in arms. After fifty days of combat, we returned to routine, but with the knowledge that this was not the last round of battle and that many challenges still lay before us. The Soroka teamwill always be ready to save lives and to give their all for the sake of our mission, for the IDF, for the residents of the South and for the people of Israel.

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