For Saving Lives Alight Here
12/12/12
The lights of the festival of Hanukkah
provide an appropriate opportunity to illuminate the life-saving achievements
of the Jewish State. Here are some recent heartwarming highlights that should
brighten the outlook.
At the ‘Innovations
in Cardiovascular Interventions’ conference in Tel Aviv, 1100
participants from 40 countries saw the latest Israeli groundbreaking medical
technology for treating the heart. Professor Rafi Beyar of Haifa’s Rambam
hospital highlighted that the Start-up Nation is also called the “Heart-up
Nation”, with Israeli companies comprising fifty per cent of the
world’s firms that focus on the body’s most important and most vulnerable
organ.
Curing cancer is one of the main
life-saving goals of Israeli researchers and bio-techs. Israeli biologist Ido
Bachalet is part of the team that designed a microscopic “truck” of DNA
nano-robots to carry
anti-bodies directly to tumours.
The truck releases its payload when it encounters the biological key of
the tumor. On the commercial front,
Israel’s Teva has signed an agreement with US Galena Biopharma to take its
NeuVax early
stage breast cancer treatment past the last stage of its trials and
through to sales. Israel will be the
location of at least four of these trials.
A further weapon in the fight against cancer is focused
ultrasound. InSightec’s Dr Yoav
Medan explains in this Technion video how it is used to treat tumors in the
brain.
In latest research, Hebrew University of
Jerusalem scientists have discovered how
the malaria infection works. The deadly Plasmodium falciparum strain
only reveals its 60 destructive genes to the body’s immune system one at a
time. Uncovering its mask should lead
to new treatments. Meanwhile at
Israel’s Weizmann Institute, researchers have shed new light on how
bacteria develop resistance by removing antibiotics at the cellular level. Sometimes, however, simple solutions are the
most effective. Doctors and nurses at
Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek are piloting an innovative digital bracelet that
prompts them to use an anti-bacterial
hand-wash after being in contact with a patient. The bracelet repeats the reminder if the
solution hasn’t been applied, or if insufficient time was spent rubbing it into
the hands.
A number of positive news stories emerged
from the recent Gaza conflict. A rare
sympathetic CNN report highlighted that Israeli hospitals treat all patients
equally. CNN featured Tel Aviv’s Sheba
Medical Centre, which is treating Israeli and Gazan children
alike. Then we heard that doctors at
Rehovot’s Kaplan Medical Center saved
the arm of Boris Chomeh, which was severed by the Grad missile attack
by Gaza terrorists on Kiryat Malachi.
Finally, doctors at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva saved the sight
of Sergeant Shimon Alankri who was seriously wounded when Gaza terrorists fired
an anti-tank missile at his jeep. Last
week Shimon was able to light Hanukkah candles at the hospital.
Hanukkah is all about surmounting adversity
and Ronit Harpaz and Ilan Zakai are prime examples. Ronit is finishing her bachelor's degree at the Open University
in psychology and sociology. She balances mothering twin girls plus regular
work with the fact that she lost
her vision in the middle of her academic studies. In Ilan’s case, at the age of three, in an
accident during Hanukkah, he received third-degree burns to his face and body.
After years of coping with prying stares, he became a professional makeup artist.
He now counsels and provides
makeup workshops at Rambam Health Care Campus to patients who have
suffered severe burns.
Israel also continually saves lives by
transforming them with innovative programs.
Israeli Designed International Development (ID2) is a 3-day event at
Mitzpe Ramon that will show how innovators and entrepreneurs can achieve
sustainable profits from products that save and improve lives. It
connects hi-tech and established companies to the developing world. Over in Canada, the Friends of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem are raising funds to send students from
earthquake-ravaged Haiti to the Hebrew Uni’s agricultural school. Their goal is to support
two or three students a year over the next decade.
A cleaner environment will certainly help
people to live longer. Scientists at
Israel’s NewCO2Fuels
are testing a Weizmann Institute method for turning brown coal into an environmentally
friendly fuel source. The process
uses highly focused solar rays to convert carbon dioxide produced in the
burning of the coal into more fuel and oxygen.
And despite troubles at electric car company Better Place, Israeli
Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau inaugurated Israel’s first-ever public electric vehicle
charging station in Mitzpe Ramon.
Landau drove an all-electric Renault Fluence from Ra’anana to the
Eilat-Eilot International Renewable Energy Conference.
Finally, it wasn’t Hanukkah candles that
caused a recent Tel Aviv fire and there were no fatalities. But Magen David Adom paramedics noticed a
cat that had fallen unconscious due to smoke inhalation. The MDA team treated
the feline patient with oxygen and following a short paws, it emerged
from its catatonic state.
Spread Israel’s light to everyone you
meet - Happy Hanukkah.
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly
newsletter containing Good News stories about Israel.
To subscribe, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
