Brandon Hospital physician packs medical supply donations to send to Israel
Brandon Hospital physician and volunteers pack medical supplies to donate overseas.
Three weeks after returning from a vacation to visit his mother, brother, sister and grandmother in Israel, Dr. Ori Gat, HCA Florida Brandon Hospital emergency department physician finds himself an ocean away and filled with worry for his loved ones. Over the last week, Dr. Gat united with friends to form a group and an idea. The idea was to connect with local hospitals and healthcare facilities to collect medical supplies desperately needed on the frontlines in Israel.
“When I was home in Israel last month, I decided to do a safety inspection on my family’s bomb shelter. I had no idea that just a few weeks later, they’d all be huddled inside praying their lives will be spared,” said Dr. Ori Gat. “I want to do everything I can to help the people of Israel. I thought about jumping back on a plane and going back to work in the trauma hospitals there, but I can’t leave my family here either. This just strikes too close to home, but with this coordinated effort to collect supplies, together we can make a difference.”
This week, Dr. Gat and Brandon Hospital volunteers will be sorting and packing the room full of donated medical supplies including intubation kits, central lines, IV lines, trauma items, PPE, fluids and more. The team will be labeling the items for shipment before loading them into a truck headed for Miami where an Israeli airline has agreed to transport the donations to the frontline hospitals in Israel where medical professionals are treating the most critical patients.