Misgav Ladach () is a Jewish hospital in Katamon, Jerusalem that belongs to Kupat Holim Meuhedet, Israel's third largest health insurance organisation.
Etymology
The name of the hospital, literally "refuge for the suffering," derives from
Psalms 9:10.
History
Misgav Ladach hospital was established in 1854 in the Old City of Jerusalem, funded by the French Rothschild family. The hospital, founded to enable the Jews to be independent of Christian missionary hospitals,
served the city's Jewish population in this location until the Israeli 1948 Arab–Israeli War in 1948, when the Jordanian army conquered the Jewish Quarter.
The hospital reopened in
Katamon in western Jerusalem, where it operated for 40 years as a maternity hospital.
After moving into new premises, a 6,700-sq.m., three-story building on Hizkiyahu Hamelech Street, the non-profit Sephardi organization that owned it went bankrupt.
[ Shapira family, partners offer $10 mln for Misgav Ladach] The building was purchased by Kupat Holim Meuhedet, renovated and reopened in 2005.
[ Misgav Ladach operating rooms shut down] In 2022, Meuhedet announced the hospital will be renovated and turned over to its subsidiary management company Medica.
Medical innovations
Misgav Ladach method
The Misgav Ladach method for
Cesarean section was developed by Michael Stark based on the Joel-Cohen incision originally introduced for
hysterectomy.
The technique was first introduced at Misgav Ladach and is now being used in medical centers around the world. The Misgav Ladach method eliminates many conventional steps, resulting in a quicker birth, less trauma for the mother and more rapid recovery. There is less need for painkillers and antibiotics, less scarring, less bleeding and less need for anaesthesia. Risk of exposure to HIV is minimized and the speed of the operation saves operating room and staff time.
[ Misgav Ladach Birthing Method: A Working Visit to Vietnam and Laos]
Natural childbirth
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Misgav Ladach was known for its personalized approach to
childbirth. The hospital was an early supporter of natural childbirth techniques and the presence of fathers in the delivery room.
Medical directors
See also
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Health in Israel
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Science and technology in Israel
