On the other hand
A common phrase in Israel whenever one wants to get something done is “acharei ha’chagim” which means “after the holidays…writes Michael Kuttner.
From Rosh Hashanah until Simchat Torah the country is in holiday mode and normal service only resumes after a month’s hiatus.
Unaffected by this are all the innovations and good news achievements, a few of which are detailed here.
CHANGING LIVES
Wheelchair-bound individuals face many obstacles and hardships. An Israeli innovation is helping to change their lives for the better.
FIJI SUPPORTS ISRAEL
As part of Israel’s 70th. anniversary celebrations a large contingent of Fijians demonstrated their enthusiastic support for the Jewish State.
For all those who were unable to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem this Sukkot, here are the Cohanim blessing thousands of visitors to the Western Wall. An awe-inspiring sight.
REVOLUTIONARY WOUND CLOSING TECHNIQUE
Surgical suturing, commonly known as stitching, has been used for sealing wounds closed as far back as 3000 BCE in ancient Egypt. Since then, this medical technique, using a needle to sew two flaps of skin together, has saved patients recovering from injuries or surgery. But it has remained fundamentally unchanged in the past five millennia.
Four years ago, TopClosure, a mechanism that aids the closure and healing of post-traumatic, surgical, acute and chronic skin wounds, burst onto the scene and generated international headlines. Now, this innovative Israeli-invented device is being used in vital organ surgery to save lives, allowing for speedier recoveries and reducing the risk of infection.
The product contains two clasps adhered to the skin on either side of a wound connected by a cable that tightens, sealing the open wound. Used by medical professionals in hospitals, it works by first stretching out the skin around the wound to avoid the need for skin grafts, and second, by ensuring that the wound scars properly. This procedure mitigates disadvantages of traditional stitching methods including high tension on the skin, difficulty of application and skin aesthetics following recovery.
Made with a special polymer that’s been tested to be durable and supportive for suture, TopClosure is specifically designed to collapse just before too much tension starts tearing skin tissues, as stitching big wounds may do. The unique method is likely to improve the current suture practice significantly: it can be used before surgery to prepare the skin incisions, during surgery to relieve tension on the skin, and after surgery as additional fastening support along with stitches.
MAZALTOV – IT’S A GIRL
A rare white rhino was born in Ramat Gan on Yom Kippur. Mother and daughter are doing well. This endangered species is being saved from extinction thanks to the loving care provided by Israeli animal experts.
