ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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RAMBAM - THE MEDICAL CRY FOR HUMAN HEALTH, ALSO KNOWN AS THE RAMBAM MEDICAL CENTER AND SHORTENED THE RAMBAM, IS ISRAEL’S LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER. RAMBAM IS THE ONLY THIRD HOSPITAL IN THE AREA. THIS IS A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, WHICH PROVIDES CLOSE TIES WITH THE TECHNION MEDICAL FACULTY (WHICH IS ADJACENT TO IT), AND SERVES AS THE MAIN CLINICAL TEACHING FACILITY OF THE FACULTY.

THE MEDICAL CENTER IS LOCATED IN A GLAMOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, ON THE COAST OF HAIFA BAY. THE HOSPITAL IS NAMED AFTER THE RAMBAM, THE GREAT JEWISH THINKERS AND A DOCTOR IN HIS PROFESSION, THE 12TH CENTURY. THE HOSPITAL COMPLEX IS ALSO FOUND IN THE RUTH RAPPORT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL – THE ONLY HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN IN THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH ALL AREAS OF PEDIATRIC MEDICINE ARE INCLUDED.

THE CEO OF THE MEDICAL CENTER IS PROFESSOR MICHAEL HALTEL.

THE BRITISH MANDATE PERIOD

THE BASIS OF THE HOSPITAL
THE BEGINNING OF THE RAMBAM HOSPITAL DURING THE BRITISH MANDATE, WHEN THE EGYPTIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE ARRIVED UNDER GENERAL EDMUND ALLENBY IN 1918. THESE ESTABLISHED A LARGE MILITARY CAMP IN THE TECHNION AND THE HEBREW REAL SCHOOL COURTYARD, AND THE CAMP ALSO INCLUDED A MILITARY HOSPITAL FOR THE TREATMENT OF HIS MAJESTY'S ROYALTY. WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION IN ISRAEL, IT BEGAN TO MANIFEST ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. THE FIRST BUILDING IN HAIFA SERVED AS A CIVILIAN HOSPITAL UNDER BRITISH RULE WAS IN THE GERMAN HOSPITAL IN THE GERMAN COLONY (A MEIR STREET OF THE DAY). AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, THE HOSPITAL MOVED TO BUILDINGS ON ST. LUKE STREET, A PARALLEL STREET TO TODAY’S GEM, IN THIS HOSPITAL IT WAS A SPECIAL CLASS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES, WHICH WERE VERY COMMON AT THE TIME. THE HOSPITAL ALSO HAD A NURSING SCHOOL, WITH THREE STUDENTS IN THE FIRST CYCLE – TWO JEWISH AND ONE ARAB. WITH THE MEDICAL STAFF, THERE WERE MOSTLY ARAB AND BRITISH DOCTORS, BUT THERE WERE ALSO THREE JEWS: DR. YITZHAK WEIZMANN, DR. RUDOLF WRIGHTLER AND DR. ALEXANDER MAORI.

THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL IN HAIFA
FOLLOWING THE RISE OF THE NAZIS TO POWER IN GERMANY, WHICH AROUSED FEARS OF WAR APPROACHING, AND THE INCREASE IN THE POPULATION OF HAIFA DECIDED ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LARGE AND SHARP HOSPITAL IN HAIFA, WHICH WOULD MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION (ESPECIALLY THE ARAB POPULATION AND BRITISH CITIZENS), AND WOULD BE THE CASE FOR THE REMOVAL OF WOUNDED FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN WHEN NECESSARY. IN ADDITION TO A LARGE POPULATION, WHICH ALSO INCLUDED MANY BRITS – MILITARY PERSONNEL, OFFICIALS, AND THEIR FAMILIES, HAD A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE HAIFA PORT, THE REFINERIES, THE RAILWAY JUNCTION ON THE WAY BETWEEN ALEXANDRIA AND DAMASCUS AND MANY MILITARY CAMPS AROUND IT.

IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE HOSPITAL WOULD BE BUILT NEAR THE PORT AND NEAR THE RAILWAY SO THAT THE WOUNDED COULD BE DIRECTED THROUGH THE SEA AND THE TRAIN. IN THE SOUTH OF THE NEW HAIFA PORT, AT THE TIME, TWO BUILDINGS WERE ALSO PRESENT: THE CARMELITE MONASTERY (THE 21ST CENTURY CALLED THE STONE BUILDING), IN WHICH THE MONKS FROM THE CARMELITE ORDER, AND A STRUCTURE FOR THE ORDER OF THE ST JOSEPH SISTERS USED AS A BUILDING INTERIOR. THE CARMELITE MONASTERY STOOD BEFORE ITS EVACUATION, WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE MONKS TO THEIR PERMANENT PLACE IN THE FRENCH CARMEL. IN SEARCH OF A SUITABLE AREA FOR BUILDING THE HOSPITAL, THE MANDATE’S HEALTH SERVICES RAISED THE IDEA OF BUYING THE CARMELITE MONASTERY, BOMBING AND OPERATING AS A HOSPITAL. THE PROGRAM WAS ABANDONED WITH THE INCREASE IN THE DANGER OF THE WAR, AND IT WAS DECIDED TO BUILD A NEW AND MODERN HOSPITAL IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE MONASTERY, BETWEEN IT AND HAIFA PORT.

FOR THE PLAN OF THE HOSPITAL, SEVERAL ARCHITECTS, INCLUDING RABBI MENDELSSOHN, A JEW FROM BERLIN, WHO DESIGNED SEVERAL MAGNIFICENT BUILDINGS IN ISRAEL, INCLUDING THE HADASSAH MOUNTAIN HOSPITAL. THE PLANNING OF THE HOSPITAL WAS DELIVERED TO MENDELSSOHN BY THE DECISION OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER ARTHUR AND KOUKFFE TO ENABLE THE RESIDENTS OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL WITH APPROPRIATE SKILLS FOR THE BENEFIT