JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israeli medical and rescue team in Haiti will finish operations on the devastated island nation in the next few days, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The team’s members are set to return to Israel by Thursday.
The decision to bring the team home came after the arrival of additional aid forces to Haiti, including military and civilian assistance from the United States that is now providing regular medical services, according to a statement released Monday by the IDF. Local hospitals also are functioning as well.
A few dozen patients treated at the IDF field hospital have been transferred to the American hospital in Haiti; others will be transferred to additional medical facilities.
Some equipment and materials brought by the Israeli delegation will remain in Haiti for use by medical personnel, including tents, medications and other medical gear. Heavy equipment will be brought back to Israel, according to the IDF.
The delegation, which left for Haiti on Jan. 15, three days after the devastating earthquake, has treated more than 960 patients, conducted 294 successful surgeries and delivered 16 babies, including three by Caesarean section.
The IDF Medical Corps and Home Front Command will hold a series of briefings in order to improve its preparedness for similar future events, according to the IDF.
