Hadassah Opens New Unit to Cut Four-Year Wait Times
The center aims to reduce delays in desensitization treatment using new technology and a specialized team.
By Aiko Petrov ·
Hadassah Medical Center opened a new facility for clinical immunology and allergies on Thursday.
The center responds to a backlog of patients waiting for specialized care. The hospital reported that individuals seeking desensitization treatment at other Israeli clinics face wait times of up to four years. The new unit is designed to shorten those delays.
The project was funded by donors Moshe and Abbie Greenberg. A team of approximately twelve clinical immunologists now leads the department. The complex includes a dedicated department for children, specialized treatment rooms, and new laboratories. These facilities support the diagnosis and treatment of immune system disorders for patients of all ages.
Hadassah estimates that about 250,000 people in the greater Jerusalem area have been diagnosed with food allergies. This high number of cases puts pressure on existing medical resources and contributes to the long waitlists at other institutions.
Professor Yuval Tal, chairman of the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, described the scope of the new center. He noted that while allergy treatment is a major focus, the facility also handles other immune diseases. Tal emphasized that allergy is one component of a wider field of immunology. The center aims to offer treatments across the entire spectrum of the discipline.
The facility uses the Phadia 250 Laboratory System. Tal explained that the technology expands the range of available tests. This advancement is expected to improve the precision and speed of diagnoses for patients with complex immune conditions.
At the opening ceremony, donor Moshe Greenberg spoke about his motivation for supporting the project. He stated that he was inspired by children dealing with complex medical conditions. He described these patients as heroes who have faced various challenges. Greenberg noted that although the children are not his own, the treatments available at the center have transformed their lives and the lives of their families. He said this impact provided a compelling reason to donate to the expansion of the complex.
