Israel’s Kohav Meir Field Hospital in the Ukrainian border town of Mostyska has treated more than 2,300 patients since it first opened in mid-March, 300 of whom were children, Sheba Medical Center reported.
Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata visited the hospital on Wednesday and met with the medical team, calling them “the pride of Israel,” and thanked them for their work on the front lines saving lives.
The current field hospital team consists of 80 medical staff members from various hospitals across Israel. They arrived on Sunday as a relief team to replace the original 60 medical workers who had been working at the hospital since it opened.
Dr. Anya Kushnir, an Israeli doctor who had immigrated to Israel from Ukraine at 15 and who was now returning to help treat people at the field hospital, was at the meeting with Tamano-Shata.
Kushnir moved to Israel on her own. She attended boarding school as part of the Naale Elite Academy, an international program that provides Jewish students from the Diaspora the opportunity to study and complete their high school education in Israel without charge.
Following graduation, Kushnir enlisted in the IDF, where she became an officer, before realizing her dream of becoming a doctor.
“I am very moved to have the opportunity to return to the country where I was born and contribute now to saving lives,” Kushnir said. “I also want to send a message to all the children fleeing Ukraine at this time and coming to Israel, and tell them that they can fulfill their dreams and nothing will stand in their way.”
The Kohav Meir Field Hospital has made a name for itself among Ukrainians fleeing war-torn cities and Russian shelling. Earlier this week, a 50-year-old woman arrived at the hospital after making extended efforts to reach the city of Mostyska, knowing that help would be available from the Israelis.
The woman had been seeking shelter during a Russian airstrike when she fell and broke her ankle in multiple places. She arrived at the hospital and underwent reconstructive surgery.
The successful operation was led by Dr. Leon Gardov of the Galilee Medical Center and doctors Vladislav and Dubiev, both from Rambam Healthcare Campus, along with local doctors. The surgeons are optimistic that the patient will be able to walk again comfortably.
“This is the third week that Israel’s Kohav Meir Hospital is operating in Ukraine, and together with the local staff, we are providing a surgical response to cases that come to us,” said Israeli aid delegation head Dr. Ram Sagi at the conclusion of the operation. “It was precisely our goal to provide advanced, professional and dedicated medical assistance to the refugees and residents in the area, thus fulfilling our missions as caregivers.”