At a ceremony on March 10, the management of the Hadassah Medical Organization presented special awards to the Ezer Mizion volunteers who chose to enter Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem’s COVID-19 Outbreak Unit to ease the suffering of long-term patients.

Over several months, the volunteers from the Ezer Mizion organization gave their time and energy to feed patients, help with dressing and bathing, serve hot drinks and keep in touch with the patients’ families.

Hadassah was the first hospital in the world to welcome volunteers who had recovered from COVID-19 and had high antibody levels to be at the bedside of patients in the COVID-19 units. This initiative became a model for other hospitals that wanted to learn about the program and apply its methods. The effectiveness of the initiative is evident in the satisfaction of patients, their families, and the hospital staff, as well as in the numbers of patients who recovered.

Ezer Mizion Chair Rabbi Chananya Chollak explained, “The cooperation between Hadassah and Ezer Mizion has existed for a long time, and it intensified over the last year with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He added, “We are happy to be in the wards and especially the Outbreak Unit alongside the professional medical staff who provide dedicated care day and night. Thanks to this collaboration, we were able to prioritize the wellbeing of patients and their families, despite the complex challenges COVID-19 imposes.”

The rabbi thanked the Ezer Mizion volunteers from the Jerusalem branch “for giving their all to lend a shoulder and a sympathetic ear to the hospitalized, and for showing endless creativity and dedication to help the patients and their families.”