“You play a central role as frontline and central hospitals in the Negev, providing dedicated care with an uncompromising commitment to saving lives and ensuring the rehabilitation of the wounded. You were able to quickly and efficiently recruit medical teams from all over the country, while creating a cooperative environment that made it possible to provide quality care to the residents of the surrounding area and to the soldiers and soldiers from the front. The tireless dedication of the professionals reflects and emphasizes your commitment to providing optimal care at critical times, while providing service at the highest level,” he emphasized.
“In emergencies and routines, you and we are partners, from the training of generations of medical teams and joint research to the development of the south and providing answers to the needs that arise in the Negev. Throughout this partnership, we directly experience the quality and commitment of the teams in the hospitals. This recognition is a symbol of the deep respect and appreciation we have for the work The medical professionals in the south. Your contribution in routine and emergency to the well-being of our society is greatly appreciated and we are proud to be partners with you in our national mission to promote knowledge and doing good for the residents of the Negev and the State of Israel,” he concluded in his letter.
The CEO of Assuta Ashdod Public Hospital, Dr. Barenboim, thanked the president of the university for the choice and said: “The activity of the hospitals since the beginning of the war has proven once again that the residents of the south and the lowlands have something and whom to be proud of. Moreover, our ability to provide life-saving treatment in recent months is a testament to the strength of the health system even in an emergency and a testament to the spirit and dedication of all the medical teams in the hospitals.”
Dr. Hezi Levy, Director of the Barzilai University Medical Center: “It is a great honor for me and the hospital staff to receive this evaluation and the Ben Gurion University President’s Award, along with the hospitals in the south. Barzilai fought for the lives of the wounded starting at dawn on Saturday, October 7, and since then they have been working tirelessly and treating hundreds of wounded and sick. I am moved by the gesture of the president of the university, Prof. Daniel Haimowitz, and dedicate the award to the dedicated and exciting staff of the Barzilai Medical Center and thank the staff who continue to treat and save the sick and injured with endless dedication.”
Dr. Shlomi Kodesh, director of Soroka University Medical Center, Klalit: “I thank the president of the university for the appreciation and gratitude to the employees of Soroka Medical Center who, since the seventh of October, have been at the forefront of treating the worst casualties of the Iron Swords War. The large number of casualties arriving in Soroka in such a short time, with the unusual mix of severity of injuries, constituted in fact the largest mass casualty event in human history as a result of terrorism, in the single hospital under fire itself. Soroka workers all continue to fight with endless bravery and dedication, shoulder to shoulder, for the lives of the wounded – soldiers and civilians alike, as well as the abductees returning to Israel. The professionalism and sensitivity alongside the determination to save lives and to respond to the “routine” medical needs of the residents of the Negev, run like a common thread between all the formations and divisions in the hospital. The Ben-Gurion University President’s Award warms our hearts and strengthens us in life-saving work.”
The award will be officially presented at a ceremony to be held during the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees during the month of May 2024.