The Israeli Health Ministry has established a detailed protocol for the reception of hostages released as part of Operation Wings of Freedom, which will begin on Sunday. Six hospitals are mobilized, including four in the center of the country: Ichilov, Beilinson, Tel Hashomer and Shamir-Assaf Harofeh. Barzilai and Soroka hospitals are designated as “emergency destinations.”
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, director of the health ministry’s medical division, said “the treatment of the hostages will be handled in an area separate from other patients.” Each ex-hostage will undergo an initial examination upon arrival, followed by a psychiatric evaluation within 24 hours. Women of childbearing age will routinely take a pregnancy test (BHCG), and STD testing will be performed as needed.
“We expect the situation to be more complex, particularly psychologically, and it may be necessary to resort to structures similar to psychiatric hospitalization,” stressed Dr. Mizrahi. The ministry recommends hospitalization for at least four days.
Particular attention will be paid to the nutritional state of the ex-hostages, with a risk of severe malnutrition. “This is a phenomenon we have known about since the Holocaust, where suddenly consuming a large amount of food, particularly carbohydrates, can disrupt the body’s electrolyte and fluid balance,” explains Dr. Mizrahi.
The protocol also provides for the collection of forensic evidence of acts of violence suffered. Families will be trained in the nutrition of their loved ones to avoid inappropriate renutrition syndrome. Medical and psychological monitoring will be provided for at least one year after their release, with regular checkpoints: after two weeks, one month, then every three months.
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