On October 14th a group of 15 volunteer physicians from the Midwest USA will arrive in Nahariya, Israel for a weeklong "dry-run" exercise of an emergency medical response group, organized by the Jewish Agency's "Partnership 2000" Department. These physicians have volunteered to come to Israel in the event of a national emergency to reinforce the staff of Nahariya's Western Galilee Hospital. The physicians are the first contingent of this volunteer group of physicians from 13 Midwest Jewish communities who are partners with Western Galilee. The present group includes MDs from Omaha, Nebraska; Dallas and San Antonio, Texas; Louisville Kentucky, as well as Dayton and Akron Ohio.
Upon landing, the group will set out for "Western Galilee Hospital," where, for a week, they will engage in hands-on learning about emergency medical procedures. They will also give their own presentations and take part in an emergency drill. During their stay the physicians will receive home hospitality by senior hospital medical staff. Despite their busy schedule they will also tour northern Israel and visit an army base. This medical volunteers program is one of the many programs of "Partnership2000," which creates partnerships between Diaspora Jewish communities abroad and regions in Israel. "Partnership 2000" currently runs some 700 projects in 35 regions of Israel.
The present group is the second Jewish Agency-run group of volunteer physicians to train for emergency response in Israel. Last July a group of 25 physicians from the USA, Canada and South Africa studied emergency medical procedures in Jerusalem and central Israel in the context of the Agency's Tnuat Aliyah medical volunteers program (organized in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the American Physicians Fellowship). In times of emergency they will serve in civilian hospitals and medical installations throughout Israel in coordination with the Ministry of Health. Another physicians' volunteer group sponsored by Tnuat Aliyah, will arrive Sunday, 20 October for a week's orientation, and training.
(With thanks to Aaron Lerner)