Doctors treating the Border Policeman critically wounded in Sunday's terrorist stabbing at Damascus Gate of Jerusalem's Old City have expressed amazement at the officer's miraculous improvement, as his condition continues to stabilize.
Dr. Ofer Merin, head of the trauma division at Jerusalem's Shaare Tzedek hospital, told radio 103FM on Monday about the miraculous recovery of the officer.
"The hospital staff has careful optimism, with a smile on the faces of the staff," he related. "There was a dramatic transition here from our perspective, as medical staff, from a critical condition with [what seemed like] his last breaths and no blood pressure, to a stable condition."
"He was between life and death. We aren't used to things like this," said the surprised doctor.
"Flak jacket of the country"
Describing the horrific wounds inflicted by the terrorist's knife, Merin noted that the most serious damage was to the chest, saying, "he had a hole in his heart, bleeding from the heart, wounds in all sorts of areas."
"To our happiness we were able to quickly analyze the problem and he was immediately operated on in the trauma room, minutes after arriving. We stopped the bleeding, and then treated the rest of the wounds. In terms of the different bodily systems, the functioning of the systems is good," said the doctor.
Looking ahead, Merin said "in the coming hours we hope to stop the anesthetic medicine. Our estimation is that he will be okay. If we put the cautiousness aside for a moment, we are optimistic."
Merin also met with Border Police Commander Maj. Gen. Amos Ya'akov, informing him of the improvement in the officer's condition.
Ya'akov praised the wounded soldier, saying his "quick, professional and firm action brought an end to the incident, before the terrorist continued to realize his intentions."
"With extraordinary courage, despite the critical wounds, the warrior strove for confrontation and neutralized the terrorist. Border Patrol warriors prove time after time that it is not for naught that they are known as the flak jacket of the country," he added.
The officer was stabbed in the neck and chest by a terrorist from the Hevron area in Judea, who made use of unprecedented Ramadan concessions easing access for Arabs from Gaza, Judea and Samaria; those concessions were lightly limited after the attack. Between 150,000 to 200,000 Arab Muslims are said to be visiting the Temple Mount each Friday of Ramadan.
Before losing consciousness, the heroic officer managed to shoot the terrorist and neutralize him; the terrorist was brought in critical condition to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.