Israel to support Africa improve health sector, research

 An Israeli healthcare centre,  Hadassah Hospital, has expressed willingness to support African countries to improve their health sectors by sharing best practices, developing research as Hadassah Hospitals is already at the forefront of global innovations.

Ms Barbara Sofer, Israel Director of Public Relations and Communications, Hadassah Office in Israel made this known on Tuesday in Jerusalem, while briefing some Nigerian Journalists on a tour to the hospital in Israel.

This is also as Sofer disclosed the several breakthroughs in research and procedures that Hadassah Hospital have recorded making it the solution center for terrible conditions.

One of such breakthroughs Sofer disclosed is a treatment for bone marrow cancer, Myeloma which is less expensive in Hadassah Hospitals and affordable for patients from across the world.

“One of the latest things we are very proud of is this new treatment for multiple Maloma.

“Getting it in the U.S cost money, but here our doctor has managed to legally create a less expensive version of this.

“And something that will be possible for not only our country but throughout the world and in affordable places that do not have the budget.

“So it is a very innovative treatment with a very high success rate. Israel’s Hadassah hospital develops breakthrough affordable treatment for cancer.

“We have a pro promising treatment for macro-degeneration and also is based on stem cells, Israel has an advantage that we are of as one of the counties that have stem cells available as opposed to the United States when they were banned to use this embryo stem cells.

“We now have treatment for macular degeneration using stem cells, a breakthrough treatment is back surgery where many people can have broken backs and they cannot undergo surgery because they are frail, we also have the wake surgery.

“That is the direction we are working in high tech innovations,” Sofer said.

Ms Suzzie Benvenziti, Executive Director, Hadassah Office in Israel said that the hospital operates an open-door policy which makes it open to everyone irrespective of religion, and race.

Benvenziti said that the hospital which is innovative and reassert hub has been able to thrive in Israel amidst several challenges

“The hospital has an open-door policy treating everybody without regards to religion, race and nationality and same is with the staff working here coming from every background.

“For this reason, in 2005, Hadassah hospitals were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and this is really one of the core elements of our values of the hospital.

“The Hospital is a Center of excellence with over 200 research projects happening here at every time, we swerve more than 1 million people annually and we are at the fore front of innovation worldwide.

“Various departments have been named on top of their field, various projects have been recognized, acquired by companies from across the world,” Benvenziti said.

Holgar Fung, Anaesthesia Specialist in the hospital said that there is a lot that African countries can learn from Hadassah hospital to improve medi-care in the continent.

Fung, a Cameroonian doctor in the center urged African governments to build health infrastructure, equip them, regular trainings of medical personnel, improve and carryout more procedures and treatments, conduct researches to meet global standards.

“I am very hopeful about the African continent because there are more and more awareness because of the internet and the younger generation is becoming more and aware.

“On infrastructure, we need to have structures, not only build but equip. We need to train people, and also we need to create linkages.

“When it comes to training, we have a lot of medical schools on the continent but the problem is we do not encourage the culture of research which is really key and the center piece at Hadassah because the more you research the more you innovate, the more possibility you have to help people.

Another thing on the structure is procurement of logistics, open market and non-monopolisation. Because of greed, only one person wants to control the whole chain for personal gains. We should work on ourselves for collective benefits.

“We need to improve our offers of health care, because most of our people go to India  and the truth is, Indi is not better than ours.

“Increase the numbers of procedure we do and this can only be possible if we train more people, we need to buy equipment improve in supply chain management,” Fung said. (NAN)