“I think of every patient as if they’re my family members,” says Mahmoud Gaber. “Patients are all scared. Anything about the heart is scary.”

Gaber, 29, is a heart catheter technician at the Hadassah Medical Organization. He assists cardiologists in performing minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases. He prepares patients, operates advanced X-ray imaging equipment, monitors vital signs, and makes sure there is a sterile field while doctors insert catheters into blood vessels.

 

You might think patients don’t notice the warmth of a technician, particularly a young one, but Gaber is among the eight Hadassah staff members who were recently awarded this year’s Medicine with Soul prize.

The reassurance Gaber gives patients is so appreciated that in a hospital-wide contest he was elected by patients and their families because of his compassion.

 

“We all want our family members to be well taken care of and treated respectfully,” said Gaber. “That’s what we have to do for our patients. I was really happy and surprised when I was told I was awarded the prize.”

 

Gaber grew up not far from Ein Kerem, in the village of Abu Ghosh, six miles west of Jerusalem. He studied Medical Device Engineering in Jerusalem. “Medical Device Engineering combines both my passions — working with patients and technological advancement,” he says.

 

At the end of his studies, he completed a ten-month internship at Hadassah, where he has now been working for three years.

“I’ve always wanted to work at Hadassah,” says Gaber. “I’d heard that it was a great place of employment and have learned that it is true.”

 

“I truly love my work. Being on stand-by in the middle of the night and having to work under pressure, in a fast-paced environment, can be challenging, but I feel I’m part of something big. Our Cath Lab is always advancing and I’m advancing with it. Most procedures that once required open-heart surgery are now done in the Cath Lab. The heart is the same heart, the arteries are the same arteries, but every day you learn something new. As part of the cardiology team, I get to help save lives. What’s better than that?”