Rise in post-trauma in wartime: Rambam stands ready to help
THE SWORDS of Iron War in Gaza has created an immeasurable ripple effect. The number of IDF soldiers, law- enforcement officers and children affected by the devastating events of October 7 and the ongoing conflict is expected to be extensive.
Given the incomprehensible nature of the experiences of this war, and the complex tasks following the initial attacks (including collecting and identifying the victims’ remains), we are facing a challenge we have never encountered.
In the north of Israel, the effect on families, evacuees and those dealing with continued bombardment by rocket fire is significant. It is absolutely critical we intervene and reach as many affected individuals as soon as possible to reduce the dangerous impact on our most essential and fragile populations.
Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa has extensive experience with trauma victims from Israel’s wars, leading its hospital staff in developing a treatment approach that addresses the complex needs of those suffering from combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Rambam’s comprehensive, patientcentred approach is a token of its persistent commitment to those suffering from the invisible wounds of war-related trauma.
The Ministry of Defence veterans’ psychiatric outpatient clinic at Rambam is the first of its kind in the country and has been serving the psychiatric and psychological needs of veterans of the Israel Defence Forces for more than 43 years.
Out of the approximately 750 patients currently being served in the clinic, most are suffering from severe, chronic, combat PTSD. Due to the complexity of the disorder and the silence in which those dealing with PTSD suffer, it is unlikely a true estimate of the intergenerational effects of PTSD can be achieved.
Nearly a quarter of Israel’s soldiers come from and live in the north. Rambam must stand ready to be a beacon of hope and healing for them in this, their most vulnerable time of need. To address this need, Rambam is working tirelessly to meet the overwhelming demand that it is already facing, with the prediction that this number will increase exponentially over the coming weeks, months, and years.
Rambam expects to see a 30 per cent increase in patients who are seeking post-trauma treatment due to the lasting effects of these circumstances.
The hospital has made it a priority that current staff be expertly trained, as well as new staff hired and trained, in order to be ready to face the enormous challenge ahead. It is Rambam’s mission and duty to rebuild and transform the lives of its citizens.
ABOUT RAMBAM
• Rambam is a 1,100-bed, academic teaching hospital. It is the referral care centre for the entire region of northern Israel (2.5 million residents). Promoting the value and dignity of human life is fundamental to Rambam. Its medical centre is at the forefront in delivering sensitive and life-saving care, and is recognised worldwide for exemplary efforts in the field of trauma.
Rambam is now preparing the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital, a massive facility that serves as the hospital’s car park in peacetime, but is protected against missiles and other military threats.
The fortified underground emergency hospital and can hold more than 2,000 patients, and is ready to receive patients from other hospitals throughout the north.
It is Rambam’s mission to rebuild the lives of its citizens