Deputy Director of the Rabin Medical Center, and Director of the center's Beilinson Campus, Dr. Lena Feldman Koren described the preparations, emotions, and medical treatment for hospitalized hostages to Maariv on Tuesday.
“Every member of the staff lives this event. There is no other way to describe it. It is a combination of excitement, anxiety, and tears of relief,” she said.
The staff have barely slept for the past week, Koren said, due to days of intense preparations, medical drills for every possible scenario, and the arrival of hostages to the hospital.
"We built the Returning Patients Department so it would look like a home," Koren said. "Each released hostage has their own room, with an adjacent room for family, and they are designed to give as homely a feel as possible."
"What makes the rooms extra special is that, at any required moment, the rooms can transform into advanced, technological medical centers that can respond to any medical possibility," she added.
Five hostages out of the 20 released on Monday are hospitalized in Beilinson campus: Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor, Avinatan Or, and Evyatar David.
While the hospital has accumulated experience in treating hostages released over the past two years, this round was different.
"This time it involved people who were held under particularly harsh captivity conditions for over 700 days. That is far beyond everything we have known," Koren explained.
"Every organ in the body is affected by such prolonged underground captivity, without movement, without sunlight, with poor nutrition and severe vitamin deficiency. We are talking about people whose bodies had to relearn what normal food is," she elaborated.
"We are actually writing new chapters in medicine. I pray that no one will need to use this "hostage medicine," but this is the reality," she continued.
"We are learning on the go, improving protocols each time, and adapting personalized treatment for each returned hostage," she commented.
Koren also responded to several questions from Maariv on the steps taken to treat hospitalized hostages.
How does the body even manage to survive in such conditions?
"That is one of the hardest questions. There is almost no medical literature on the subject. We rely on past experience with prisoners from the Yom Kippur War and what we have learned ourselves in the last two years," Koren said.
"The human body undergoes a huge physiological challenge. When nutrition is limited – pita, rice, fava beans – the body enters survival mode. It burns fat, breaks down muscle, and develops amazing mechanisms to conserve energy. But this comes at a heavy cost, the depletion of vitamin reserves, immune system damage, anemia, hormonal disruptions," she explained.
"Each returning patient is accompanied by a personal team: a doctor, a nurse, a dietitian, a social worker, and a psychologist. Around them are specialists in every field, from hematology to endocrinology, dermatology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, and surgery, all working together under one framework," she added, noting that this is a benefit of sending released hostages to a large hospital.
We saw in the photos evidence of extreme muscle loss. How is this treated?
"We have detailed protocols written based on our experience. We start with very gradual feeding, with close monitoring to prevent refeeding syndrome, a life-threatening condition where the body cannot handle the food load after a long period of starvation," she answered.
"At the same time, there is personal nutritional support, physiotherapy beginning in the ward in the coming days, and later long-term rehabilitation. We are talking about a long journey that continues even after release," she expanded.
Do they talk about what they went through, or are they still in shock?
"Each does so at a different pace. Some are silent, while others share. We guide the families on how to approach the subject, not to pressure them, not to ask intrusive questions, but to be present, to listen," she replied.
"Mental health professionals are also involved, with close guidance from psychologists and psychiatrists. The goal is to give them a safe space for emotional release without triggering trauma," she added.
How was their first night?
"Very intense! The transition from captivity to a warm bed is not simple. Some fell asleep quickly from accumulated fatigue while others struggled to close their eyes," she described,
"We gave them freedom. There is no fixed 'lights out' time. They need to feel control over their time and lives, as this is a part of healing," she explained.
What about the initial medical examinations?
"Everyone went through an initial assessment, but we are still in the midst of the diagnostic process. Most are stable, receiving close treatment, and are with their families in the ward. Medical confidentiality is strictly maintained, but I can say that each of them is in the best hands. We allow them to stay with their families, without the need for intensive hospitalization, and that already gives an understanding of their condition," she explained.
The hostages did not brush their teeth for two years. How is oral health addressed?
"Oral hygiene is critical. Captivity conditions severely damaged gums and teeth. Each returning patient is examined by an oral and maxillofacial specialist, with personalized treatments. This is an integral part of the overall process," she answered.
What is the daily routine in the ward?
"Our ward looks more like a home than a hospital. Each returning patient has a private bedroom and a separate room for the nuclear family, with free access to each other. In the center there is a shared area allowing meetings with extended family," she said.
"The medical staff enters only when needed. In the morning they wake up at their own pace, eat breakfast with the dietitian’s guidance, then go through check-ups, therapeutic conversations, and sometimes personal time in the small ward garden. We give them a sense of control, showing that time belongs to them again," she expanded.
What was the most moving moment for you?
"It is always the meeting with the family. For us, it happened between Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David, two childhood friends who shared captivity and lives. The moment they hugged after almost two years, without words, only with a look, is a moment one does not forget," she told Maariv.
"For me as a doctor, it is closure. In the past two years, we treated hundreds of war casualties. Seeing the returning hostages land on the same helipad where the injured landed is a historic moment. We are the first phase in their healing journey, and the significance is enormous. We are all together with one mission: to bring them home, to their bodies, to their families, to life itself," she added.