Jerusalem's birthplace

Tuesday 7th 2009f April 2009


Music & clown therapy at Shaare Zedek

Lauren Krotosky speaks to Rabbi Uri Schwarz, Head of PR and International Operations for the 107-year-old Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, to find out just how miraculous a place it really is

What is special about Shaare Zedek?

What's not special? It's an ultra-modern hospital at the forefront of modern medicine. A claim to fame of the hospital is that 50% of all babies born in Jerusalem are born at Shaare Zedek. In addition, Shaare Zedek is becoming a world research centre for Jewish genetic research e.g. Tay Sachs.. We are the fastest growing hospital in Israel, and the most centrally located hospital in Jerusalem making us very easy to get to

Does the hospital treat many victims of terror attacks?

Since 2004, there haven't really been big numbers in Jerusalem. But during the big wave of terror between 2000 and 2004 we got about 40% of terror victims - a big share considering there are four main hospitals in Jerusalem. We are on 24-hour alert, 365 days a year, for chemical or biological attacks on the city. When the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva shooting happened there was a boy who was in non-medical terms dead on arrival - as dead as you can be but still be alive. Eight different doctors operated on him at the same time and saved his life. Today, he is pretty close to being back to normal. We can in less than four minutes empty our entire emergency room with 70-odd beds - such a thing would be unseen in England. In the Kennedy Leigh Shock and Trauma Centre, there are 4 units where we can do immediate basic surgery e.g. after a terror attack, a traffic accident or heart attack. Patients are treated immediately on arrival and in Shaare Zedek, the most serious get dealt with first. We had one situation in May 2001, where there was a wedding and the floor collapsed - 23 people were killed and close to 300 injured. We received more than 100 patients within the first hour - it was a mass casualty and Israel's worst civil disaster. Everything at the hospital is very thought out - the world wants to see how to plan effectively. We try to help other hospitals worldwide and had the Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust recently visit us for a two-day seminar to learn from our experiences.

What new developments are taking place at Shaare Zedek?

The hospital wants to stay at the forefront of modern medicine. We are building a paediatric hospital - the first time in Jerusalem that in-patients and out-patients will be under one roof. We are in the midst of building a surgical complex - because of the emergency room which is rather large we need surgical backing. It will enable us to keep up with the high number of surgeries. We are all the time on the move.

Does the hospital treat many Arab patients?

Thirty percent of people living in Jerusalem are non-Jews so thirty percent of our patients are non-Jews. Seventy percent of our paediatric dialysis patients are Arabs. But within the four walls of the hospital, there are no politics. When it comes to the hospital, there are no politics. Arab physicians treat Jews and Jewish physicians treat Arabs.

What can Shaare Zedek offer in terms of cutting edge technology?

We can save premature babies that weigh 400g - a quarter of the weight of a chicken. By carrying out a special procedure - pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) we can test for genetic diseases to enable "carrier" parents to have a non-affected baby. Following IVF treatment, the first cell of life is checked, and an unaffected embryo is implanted into the mother - and all this is carried out within halacha. By doing this simple procedure we are helping families who may have otherwise had sick children to have healthy ones. It is special because we have one of the highest success rates in the world. For example, if both parents are Tay Sachs carriers there is a 25% chance of their child having the disease and not living for more than a few years. This procedure gives hope for a healthy life. We also have parents who themselves have severe genetic diseases who, through PGD, have unaffected children. We have so far had close to 70 children born using PGD who otherwise may have been severely ill. Seeing these people with healthy children is something very special. The hospital can screen for 40 genetic diseases.

Why is funding so essential?

We are looking to find funds for numerous projects including our children's hospital and operating theatres. On a less expensive level, but also urgently needed are, amongst other items, two new incubators for premature babies at a cost of Ł35,000 each. Shaare Zedek is a non-profit organisation which doesn't have any government funding. We are very proud of our association with Shaare Zedek UK. UK donors are so important, and we have had some incredibly generous donations at all different levels, all of which are vital to the hospital.

How does the hospital seek to make it as comfortable an experience as possible for its patients?

Shaare Zedek doesn't feel like a normal hospital due to its spacious campus. The ground floor is actually the fourth floor, as the first three floors are underground in order to be completely protected in case of war. We were one of the first hospitals to take medical clowning seriously, as we realised that a smile can go a long way - a modern version of "chicken soup". They are not doctors but most of them are professional actors, all with special training, and they use their natural skills to help patients and visitors get through, what is very often, a difficult day. They put their red noses on and the smiles start forming. They do an incredible job.

For more information about Shaare Zedek, visit www.szmc.org.il/eng or www.shaarezedekuk.com or call 020 8201 8933