MACHAR Tonight

Machar in Hebrew means tomorrow. There's also another Machar that is very familiar to residents of Efrat and Gush Etzion. It's the Efrat Emergency Medical Center, whose Hebrew acronym is "Machar".

The Machar is open every night after regular doctor's hours, seeing patients with all kinds of problems from colds to broken whatevers to heads that need some stitching.

I've tested their services many times for granddaughters with colds, pneumonia, fever. Tonight I tested it for myself. I had a terrible eye infection, I mean terrible. So bad, I didn't know it was an eye infection. It was actually painful.

It even kept my home from synagogue today (and just about nothing keeps me home from synagogue). In fact, I think it's the first time I missed shul in several years, but I really was feeling lousy, and I didn't want to share anything I might have had.

So I went to the Emergency Medical Center tonight. There was a nurse and two doctors on call - a pediatrician, Dr. Yossi Orbach, and a general practitioner, Dr. Earl Harow. And we really lucked out, because even the head of the facility Rav David Marcus (seen above in the photo with Dr. Yitz Glick) was there when we arrived.

The area south of Jerusalem is lucky to have this facility open for the public. The doctors are great. The services are plentiful, and the place itself gives one a feeling of confidence.

B"H, I only have an eye infection, and not only did Dr. Harow treat me, he even gave me medicine from the Medicine Gemach (a service where the medicine is on site, and patients are requested to donate to the service).

I'm feeling better already, B"H. Thanks to EEMC, the Machar for taking care of me tonight.

To find out more details about the Machar, read here: http://voices-magazine.blogspot.com/2010/05/efrats-mini-hospital-maxi-enthusiasm.html .