Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) is committed to caring for its staff and supporting the challenges that come with both war and parenthood.
Dr. Michal Mekel (back row, center) welcomes parents and children. Photography: Rambam HCC
Today, Rambam opened its underground daycare center on the minus-2 level of the Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital where hundreds of children, ages 3-12, can spend their days playing, socializing, and continuing their studies while the education system remains closed. In a warm, safe, and protected environment, professional caregivers and volunteers care for the children while their parents perform vital, lifesaving daily duties.
The fully-equipped daycare center opened and welcomed 240 children with warmth and care. The children, some dressed up in Purim costumes, spent their day immersed in age-appropriate activities. Tomorrow, a nursery for children up to three years old will open.
This massive undertaking could not been completed without the support and assistance of the Haifa Municipality.
Essential workers, such as Sarah Deutch, a nursing instructor in the Department of Neurosurgery, and husband Eldad, who serves as a senior Magen David Adom paramedic, have four children who are enrolled at the daycare center.
“Our girls first started attending the center during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sarah explains. “During emergencies like this, they look forward to coming—it gives them a break, and they enjoy their time there. It gives me room to breathe. They’re older now and understand what’s happening. We know they're safe. That eases my mind and heart and allows me to concentrate on my work.”
Eldad and Sarah with their children.
Photography: Rambam HCC.
Click on the picture below to watch a video of children enjoying their time in the fortified daycare center.
