Wolfson Medical Center CEO Shares Personal Story as Mother of Injured Soldier
Prof. Anat Engel, CEO of Wolfson Medical Center, revealed her personal experience as the mother of a soldier wounded in the "Swords of Iron" war during a Ministry of Health conference on Wednesday. The state event, marking 30 years of the National Health Insurance Law, focused on the future of Israel's healthcare system. Engel participated in a discussion titled "Doctor, Person, Patient," exploring the transition from managing a healthcare system to being a patient's family member.
Engel spoke publicly for the first time about her son, Yoav Engel, an Armored Corps fighter who was critically injured in battles in Shuja'iyya during the war. Yoav, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is a medical student, shared his difficult journey since his injury. Also participating was Dr. Yoav Bichovsky, an ICU doctor severely wounded in the war who returned to medicine after recovery.
"I went from managing an excellent system that treats the wounded to being the mother of a wounded person," Engel stated, describing the profound shift in perspective. "Suddenly, I knew, in the deepest sense of the word, what it means to entrust the life of the person you love most to our healthcare system." She emphasized that a healthcare system's true test lies not just in its resources but in its ability to provide professional care, hope, and a sense of control to individuals at their most vulnerable moments.
Yoav Engel recounted his long recovery and the arduous rehabilitation process. He explained that his experience as a patient inspired him to pursue medical studies, aiming to provide other patients with the same level of care he received and to give meaning to his own life, which was saved by the healthcare system.
