Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis visited the Save A Child’s Heart charity's facility at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, in honor of the recent normalization agreements with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, according to a Thursday press release from the charity.
Save A Child's Heart works to provide life-saving medical support to children with cardiac conditions, operating around the Middle East and elsewhere. Akunis was accompanied by philanthropist Sylvan Adams, Director of the Wolfson Medical Center Dr. Anat Engel, Save a Child's Heart president Professor Arik Shechner, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Dr. Lior Sasson, and Executive Director Simon Fisher.
As part of its effort to help children, the ministry has worked with the charity since 2010, and has rescued 1,600 children with cardiac issues in Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza and the PA, Syria, Morocco, and South Sudan.
On his visit, Akunis toured the Sylvan Adams Children's Hospital, currently under construction, and met with children from Zanzibar, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Romania, and the Palestinian Authority. He also met doctors from Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia, and spoke to the children's mothers.
Simon Fisher, Save a Child’s Heart Executive Director, spoke of Akunis' visit, saying “I am pleased to share that eight children from Iraq are expected to arrive in Israel soon to undergo life-saving heart treatments at Wolfson - funded by the Ministry of Regional Cooperation. This is very good news and we hope it will open the door to cooperation with other countries.”
Akunis also noted the significance of the visit, saying “We are in an era of a new Middle East, an era replete with new and significant opportunities for us. The historic peace agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are a first step towards normalization with the whole region. I thank Sylvan and Margaret Adams for their initiative, and long-standing partnership with the important activity that takes place here at the Wolfson Medical Center”.
“Israel is committed to caring for children wherever they are, and to working for the good health of our children, the children of the whole world and the next generation. We want the children of the entire Middle East to live alongside us in health, peace and security. The Ministry of Regional Cooperation, under my leadership, will continue to support this wonderful project of "Save a Child's Heart", which represents the very essence of regional cooperation, and joint humanitarian endeavors for the highest purpose - preserving the sanctity of life,” the minister added.