The Hadassah Medical Centre was first established by nurses in Jerusalem in 1912 to help women and children who were suffering from abject poverty and experiencing high levels of infant mortality and disease. It has since grown into the largest hospital in Jerusalem and the biggest non-governmental employer in the area.
The benefits of medicine should transcend politics,religion and national boundaries and the Hadassah Medical Organisation puts that philosophy into practice. Hadassah continually reaches out with emergency relief and specific rescue missions in the aftermath of natural and geopolitical crises with ongoing work in the AIDS orphanages of Ethiopia. Their doctors also regularly perform eye surgery in remote regions and over one million Africans thank Hadassah for their eyesight. Road to Peace is working with Professor Eitan Kerem, Head of Paediatrics to help facilitate medical treatment for children suffering as a result of conflict.
Consistent with its philosophy of equal treatment and equal employment opportunities for all, Hadassah has always embodied the concept that medicine serves as a bridge to peace. For many years the hospital has been providing medical services to Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and is involved in numerous cooperative programs with Palestinian physicians, hospitals and medical personnel. In addition to providing day-to-day health care, Hadassah Medical Organisation has launched a number of specific projects in partnership with The St John’s Eye Hospital, the Peres Centre for Peace, Augusta Victoria Hospital and the Red Crescent Hospital of Jerusalem.
In recognition of their exemplary role in a troubled region, the Hadassah Medical Organisation was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.