INNONATION Recruits 100 Israeli Volunteer Doctors to Mitigate the Impact of Coronavirus

Doctors from largest hospitals in Israel – Sheba, Ichilov, Rambam, Wolfson and Soroka hospitals – have joined the initiative

The interactive video broadcasts will target people around the world currently in forced isolation as a result of the Coronavirus. They will include topics such as family and children, dermatology, diet, psychology, pregnancy and signs of serious illness that require emergency treatment

The Israeli innovation organization INNONATION, which specializes in cross-border initiatives between talents, companies and organizations, has launched a social project that will provide interactive medical instruction via video to people affected by the Coronavirus. The initiative will target people in China, Japan, South Korea, Italy, the U.S., Israel and dozens of other countries who are currently experiencing quarantines or fear going to clinics and hospitals over concerns about contracting the Coronavirus.

So far doctors from major hospitals in Israel – Sheba, Ichilov, Rambam, Wolfson and Soroka – have joined the initiative. More than 100 doctors have volunteered to participate in the online instruction effort. In addition, technology companies that supply access to practical technology and medical databases are taking part and contribute useful medical products. INNONATION has already started to operate broadcast stations at all the participating hospitals, following a successful pilot at the company’s facility in Tel Aviv.

During one of the pilot broadcasts that was directed at China, Dr. Rachel Libenson Vansh, a primary care doctor at the Clalit Health Fund, discussed tips for safeguarding one’s health during confinement to the home and how to guarantee proper hygiene. After her discussion, Dr. Libenson answered viewers’ questions in English with the answers translated during the broadcast into Chinese. The Chinese participants viewed the broadcast with the use of a Zoom system and through the Weibo social network, that is China’s version of Twitter.

The planned broadcasts will include among other subjects: family and children, dermatology including sensitivity resulting from the wearing of protective masks), diet, psychology (as well as dealing with anxieties), pregnancy, signs of serious illness that require immediate attention and additional relevant topics.

Amit Gal-Or, one of the founders of INNONATION, said: “The health systems in countries affected by the Coronavirus are under tremendous pressure. They find it difficult to deal with the medical needs of people living under quarantine and with the general population that fears going to clinics and hospitals. This Israeli volunteer initiative will provide them with the necessary know how to deal with the daily medical difficulties that currently are not being met. The technology bridges the medical gap in these countries, while the recruitment of Israeli medical institutions and the impressive volunteering of the best doctors in Israel help realize this project and meet the tremendous demand for the necessary medical knowledge.”

INNONATION was established in 2016 as an innovation platform for international collaboration between talents, companies and governments. The platform was set up by the Gal-Or family (Amir Gal-Or and his sons Raz and Amit), and under this framework sites were opened in five Chinese cities, including Beijing, Hangzhou and Hong Kong, as well as in Tel Aviv. INNONATION supplies various services to expedite collaboration, including AI systems that conduct precise matching of potential collaboration projects, meetings and conferences between companies and a wide-ranging media network, large media platform, and execution teams around the world. The Israeli site, called Powerhouse, was opened in mid-2019 in Ramat Hahayal in Tel Aviv with a $4 million investment. The site already serves Israeli companies attempting to launch commercial activity in China or to expand existing operations.

The Gal-Or family has been active in the Chinese market for about 20 years and is a partner in technology, telecommunications and real estate deals valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.