Glimpses of Israel - Hadassah Hospital

by Joseph Hunting

The original Hadassah Hospital was built on Mt. Scopus during the Mandate period. At that time it was considered the foremost medical institution and research centre in the Middle East.

When Jerusalem fell to the Jordanians in 1948, during the early stages of the war, the hospital was cut off from Jerusalem proper, as the road leading to it cut across Jordanian-held territory.

After Israel finally emerged victorious following Arab invasion in 1948 a new Hadassah Hospital was built at Ein Kerem (the birthplace of John the Baptist) on the outskirts of modern Jerusalem.

The new hospital quickly established a reputation for being one of the most advanced of its kind in the world. Included is the Sharett Institute for Cancer Research, and schools of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Medicine.

Hadassah Hospital 's reputation in the fields of open-heart surgery, cancer treatment and ophthamology is international.

Although I had been introduced to the intricacies of this great medical research complex on a guided tour it was not until I contracted an eye infection on a subsequent visit to Israel that I experienced first hand the professional expertise available at Hadassah Hospital.

Arabs, too, have come to appreciate the medical care available. Even injured terrorists receive the same attention as the Israelis whom they have been trained to maim and kill.