Israel’s first-ever protected hyperbaric medicine center opens at Sheba hospital

The treatment is used for a range of medical conditions, including complex wounds, radiation damage, diabetes-related complications, severe infections, and chronic wounds.

By Shula Rosen

Sheba Medical Center announced the opening of what it described as Israel’s first protected hyperbaric medicine center, a facility designed to provide oxygen therapy during emergency situations while expanding treatment capacity for patients with complex medical conditions.

The new Michal and Dr. Avraham Kedar Center was established at Sheba’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Tel Hashomer through a donation of about 22 million shekels from the Kedar family.

The hospital said the facility has already begun receiving patients from Sheba and other hospitals.

The center includes two advanced hyperbaric chambers that the hospital said are among the largest of their kind in Israel, enabling treatment for up to two dozen patients simultaneously.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing high concentrations of oxygen inside a pressurized chamber.

The treatment is used for a range of medical conditions, including complex wounds, radiation damage, diabetes-related complications, severe infections, and chronic wounds.

The hospital said the therapy can, in some cases, help prevent amputations and save lives.

The facility was designed to continue operating during emergency situations while expanding access to specialized oxygen therapy treatment.

The hospital said the Kedar family decided to support the initiative after meeting wounded soldiers and identifying what they viewed as a need for advanced medical infrastructure for both soldiers and civilians.

“We see it as a great privilege to partner with Sheba and take part in establishing an advanced medical center that is expected to improve the lives of many patients,” Michael and Dr. Avraham Kadar said.

“We believe that connecting medical innovation, clinical excellence, and human mission is a way to create broad and lasting impact on Israeli society and its resilience,” they said.