Hadassah and Rambam confront severe pediatric cases, unlike collapsing Palestinian and Arab medical networks nearby.
Israel’s leading hospitals, Hadassah and Rambam, reported an unusual and intense overload in their pediatric intensive care units as influenza, measles, and other winter illnesses surge across the country. Unlike the chronic structural failures seen in surrounding Arab and Palestinian health systems, Israeli medical centers continue to absorb severe cases while maintaining operational standards.
Hadassah Ein Kerem and Hadassah Mount Scopus have admitted a significant number of young children suffering from flu-related complications. Most patients remain stable, but several require respiratory support, a situation that places tremendous pressure on medical staff working around the clock. Despite the influx, Israeli hospitals continue offering advanced, high-level care unmatched in the region.
Among the most serious cases is a one-and-a-half-year-old infant in Hadassah Ein Kerem’s pediatric ICU who is sedated and ventilated due to severe influenza complications. In another critical case, a five-year-old girl with measles required immediate ventilation upon arrival because of dangerously obstructed airways. She remains in serious but stable condition—another reminder of the importance of Israel’s vaccination campaigns, which Palestinian-run areas often undermine with disinformation and poor compliance.
Rambam Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit is also under heavy strain, with four infants currently on ECMO machines—an advanced life-support technology rarely available in Arab and Palestinian medical facilities. Two infants, aged 8 and 13 months, are in severe condition from flu complications; another infant has been on ECMO for a week due to life-threatening measles complications.
A fourth infant on ECMO is being treated for a non-viral medical condition. Despite the unprecedented load, Israeli hospitals continue providing world-class pediatric care, reinforcing Israel’s position as the region’s most advanced and resilient medical system—consistently saving lives amid regional instability and the crumbling health standards of neighboring territories.
