These devices can also be used for home therapy and in addition he set up four phototherapy clinics for people suffering from psoriasis.
By JASON BLACKSHAWAt-home therapy device(photo credit: COURTESY SHAAG)
Fourteen years ago, Eyal Greenbaum underwent a liver transplant. One of the results of this experience was his commitment to improve the quality of life of the infirm. Greenbaum was engaged in the business of supplying medical devices long before the transplant, but after his experience, he realized that so much more could be done to improve the conditions of those who are ill, especially the time one spends in the hospital after undergoing surgery.Patients who undergo a liver transplant usually have to spend three weeks in the hospital.Greenbaum was out of the hospital after just two weeks. He believes that the less time one spends in the hospital, the better. And with good reason. A home environment, surrounded by family and friends in the comfort of one’s home, eating home cooked food, etc., is therapy in itself. And today, with the aid of telemedicine and cutting-edge medical monitoring devices, doctors in the hospital can monitor a convalescing patient in his home.Some of this equipment is supplied by the US company Athena.Woman uses an at-home therapy device (Courtesy of SHAAG)Greenbaum, 51, has been involved in issues related to health for more than 30 years. He was a volunteer driver for Magen David Adom, where, incidentally, he met his wife, a paramedic with MDA. He did his military service as a combat medic. When he completed his military service, he set up a small company that specialized in first-aid training. The company rapidly expanded, and he started importing medical equipment and dealing with various medical projects under two other companies that he founded – SHAAG Medical Ltd. and Projects Group Ltd.Within the SHAAG framework and other companies that were subsequently added, Greenbaum founded a well-equipped medical center and hospital in Sha'ar Binyamin, near Jerusalem, which caters to the needs of the 25,000 residents in the area. He also set up a pharmacy which enabled local residents to obtain medicines that previously could only be obtained from the pharmacies of the nation’s four health funds.Nine years ago, Greenbaum became the Israeli representative of Daavlin USA, a company that manufactures phototherapy equipment for the treatment of skin diseases.These devices can also be used for home therapy and in addition he set up four phototherapy clinics for people suffering from psoriasis.He is also involved in health projects on a global level. He is a consultant on medical devices for medical projects in Georgia and is involved in projects in the Philippines. He also imports medical home aids for the crippled.Greenbaum has a large number of ongoing medical business projects, but he is especially proud of introducing defibrillators to Israel. He explains, “These are life-saving medical devices, resuscitating equipment. When a person suffers a cardiac arrest, the quick use of a defibrillator will in all probability save the person’s life. It must be used within minutes of the cardiac arrest, long before the emergency medical team arrives on the scene. The devices are very simple to use, and they have an embedded automatic audio device that gives the EMTs instructions on how to use it.”Cardiac arrest occurs when the organized electrical activity in the heart muscle ceases andthere is no consistent contraction of the ventricles. This results in the heart’s inability to generate adequate cardiac output (forward pumping of blood from the heart to the rest of the body). Without instant resuscitation, the flow of blood to the brain and the heart ceases, causing irreparable brain damage and even death.Greenbaum not only introduced defibrillators to Israel, but he was also one of the initiators of the Resuscitating Act, which was approved by the Knesset in 2008. Under this act, a defibrillator must be prominently displayed in public places with more than 500 people, such as shopping malls, stadiums, events halls, old age homes, hotels with more than 250 rooms, airports and seaports, as well as airplanes and cruise ships with more than 100 people.SHAAG has installed more than 5,000 such devices throughout Israel. Without these, many of those suffering from cardiac arrest would have died. Greenbaum is very proud of these installations. For every life saved by one of the defibrillators, he donates one to the community.Greenbaum was also one of the initiators the Implant Act, which was also passed by the Knesset in 2008. It was the initiative of his friend Otniel Schneller, who was then an MK.The law as originally drafted would have allowed the automatic use of the organs of the deceased, unless the family objected. Similar laws exist in many countries. The law was passed without the automatic clause; but for the first time, there were definite legal criteria to determine what was and was not considered brain death.Greenbaum has also done his bit for the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the fight against the virus, when Israel was in dire need of additional equipment, SHAAG was chosen by the government to use its wide global contacts to find the equipment that was needed by the medical establishment. The company rose to the challenge.Greenbaum says, “Using our multiple global contacts, we were able during a relatively short time to purchase large quantities of equipment. Barely 10 days after we were contacted by the Health Ministry, the first planeload landed at the Ben-Gurion airfield. Four more planeloads followed, with two more on their way. They included five million face masks, 250,000 medical overalls to protect the staff, and other equipment needed by the medical establishment.”Eyal Greenbaum has been active in promoting the medical well-being of this country for more than 30 years and is determined to continue the task. Currently, he is promoting a start-up that is developing a natural substitute for Ritalin. He is also importing equipment that will improve the quality of life of the crippled, such as a wheelchair that can descend stairs by itself.“My main purpose,” says Greenbaum, “is to make sure that everything I bring to this country is of the highest quality, with all the necessary authorizations. Before I decide on something, I consult with experts, listen to suggestions, etc. When I have decided on a medical device, I make every effort to obtain it at the best possible price. I donate part of the earnings we generate to the needy and to organizations that cater to their needs.”For further info:www.shaag.comwww.gayamed.co.il
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