Health brief
Reservist Mental Care and Defending Global Medical Ties
Ichilov Hospital opens a direct-access trauma center for IDF reservists as Hadassah leadership pushes back against international boycott motions.
Health
Ichilov is using private philanthropy to bypass government bureaucracy — creating a rapid mental healthcare model for thousands of combat reservists facing chronic PTSD.
BackgroundSince October 2023, over 26,000 Israeli security personnel have been wounded, with roughly 65% seeking psychological support after repeated combat deployments. Public mental health channels face mounting backlogs, leaving thousands of veterans waiting months for official care authorizations.
- Ichilov Hospital and Lema'anchem launched the Tel Aviv clinic to remove financial and administrative hurdles for combat veterans and their families.
- The facility expands Ichilov's Assif Trauma Center, offering direct psychiatric and psychological treatment without waiting for government authorization.
- Medical directors emphasized that immediate early-intervention therapy drastically cuts chronic disability rates among soldiers returning from active fronts.
- Private philanthropic backing finances the program, ensuring uninterrupted care while public healthcare channels struggle with severe patient backlogs.
Health
Hadassah is taking the fight against medical isolation into top journals — setting up an October showdown at the World Medical Association over global healthcare neutrality.
BackgroundActivist health groups have submitted formal resolutions urging global medical bodies to sever institutional ties with Israel over the Gaza war. Hadassah University Medical Center operates major hospitals in Jerusalem, serving as a hub for regional medical training and treating both Israeli and Palestinian patients.
- Hadassah President Carol Ann Schwartz and CEO Dr. Yoram Weiss authored the response in The Lancet confronting global expulsion initiatives.
- The letter calls on the World Medical Association to reject boycott resolutions at its upcoming October General Assembly in Rotterdam.
- Leadership warned that excluding Israeli researchers harms international clinical trials, medical exchanges, and regional public health initiatives.
- The authors highlighted Hadassah's century-old track record of delivering neutral care to all patients regardless of ethnicity, religion, or politics.
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