Netanya – Getting an MRI in the US or in most Western nations is not a big deal. Most hospitals offer the modern diagnostic and in the US, it is part of a flourishing industry. But in Israel, MRIs are heavily regulated by the Ministry of Health and is mostly available in the nation’s hospitals. Health officials in Israel consider the diagnostic a progressive form of care and want to make sure that the radiologist is well qualified for the task.
For many years as Laniado Hospital continued to develop into a world class medical institution, it would have to send patients to other institutions just to get an MRI. And even so, appointments were often delayed for many weeks and even months. This delay often resulted in pushing off vital treatment until the diagnosis would be confirmed.
But this past May, Laniado Hospital, Netanya’s only major medical center, was approved to purchase and open an MRI Unit, thanks to the generosity of well-known American Jewish philanthropist Mr. S. Daniel Abraham. This is a great milestone for Laniado, as there are very few machines in Israel.
MRI stands for “Magnetic Resonance Imaging”, using radio waves and magnetic fields to form images of the body, aiding in determining a patients’ diagnosis and/or stage of a disease. Thus, the new MRI machine is integral to Laniado’s operations, maintaining its position as a world-class hospital with cutting edge medical care. “I’m so thankful that Laniado now has an MRI unit, as I previously had to travel from Netanya to Rishon Lezion or Haifa at 2am just to make my appointment. That’s an hour drive in a taxi in the middle of the night, which is not only a hassle but quite costly,” said one of Laniado’s cancer patients. Now Laniado receives not only patients living in Netanya, but also from towns around the country. This new state-of-the-art machine will hopefully help ease the long waiting periods for MRI scans across Israel.
A special unit was built to house the new MRI machine, as part of the radiology department, headed by Dr. Zev Feuchtwanger. The new MRI Unit received the generous support of IFCJ and Josesf Lebovic from Toronto in collaboration with the Netanya Foundation. Also supporting the initiative were Rabbi Eckstein and Yael Eckstein.
It is through initiatives like this that the vision of Laniado’s founder, the Sanz-Klausenburger Rebbe, comes to fruition, to create a hospital with heart. It is not simply the medical assistance that Laniado provides, but the care and concern for every single patient that has helped build its stellar reputation around Israel and abroad.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
