On Tuesday, 20/5/25, the "Minister of Health's Shield for Volunteers in the Health System" ceremony for 2024 was held in the Shilansky Auditorium in the Knesset. Among the recipients of the award was volunteer Ora Lekhak, a veteran volunteer at the Clalit Shlomi Clinic.
The Minister of Health's Shield Ceremony is an exciting annual event dedicated to honoring and appreciating volunteers who are dedicated to the health system in Israel. The ceremony is held annually under the auspices of the Minister of Health and the Director General of the Ministry of Health and brings together people from all over the country who have made significant contributions to the advancement of public health. During the ceremony, prestigious recognition awards are presented to volunteers as individuals or as a group for their excellence in volunteer activities in the health sector, while demonstrating dedication, commitment to the mission, and high values. The ceremony is an exciting opportunity to honor the dedicated work of the volunteers, to celebrate their vital contribution to the health system, especially this year during the "Iron Swords" war, and to encourage others to join and donate.
Ora says:
I have no fear, my volunteering is a mission for the benefit of the people and especially my patients at the General Clinic. This is my opportunity to give of myself just like the wonderful treatment I receive from the clinic staff throughout my years as a client at the General Clinic.
Ora Lech, a veteran volunteer from the Clalit Clinic in Shlomi, is one of the recipients of the Shield of Honor. She maintained continuity of care for the residents even during the fighting and when she and her family were evacuated from their home. Ora was born in 1951, has been a resident of Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra for 45 years, is married, a mother of 4 and a grandmother of 11 grandchildren. She has been volunteering for about 7 years at the Clalit Clinic in Shlomi, which provides services to about 6200 Clalit patients in Shlomi and the surrounding area. When the fighting began and residents were evacuated in the north, the Clalit Clinic in Shlomi continued to operate and provide care to those who did not evacuate from all the health insurance funds and provided care remotely to patients who had evacuated to other communities. Although Ora was evacuated with her family, she made sure to continue volunteering at the Shlomi Clinic throughout the entire period, even though her temporary residence was far from the clinic and the area was under constant alarms and rocket fire. Any distress that Ora felt from a patient, she made sure to convey to the clinic staff so that they would receive an appropriate response.
The Shlomi Clinic team congratulates Ora:
Ora is a unique woman, with good interpersonal skills, pleasant manners, and caring, who is an example and role model for dedication to a goal. There is no doubt that her presence as a critical volunteer for the entire clinic, always arriving with a smile and optimism, transmitting resilience to us. She is definitely an active part of the clinic team. During the war, she regularly came to the clinic 3 times a week and responded to every request from a patient or staff member. Her extraordinary dedication over the years helps and contributes to promoting improvements in the quality and health indicators of patients. Thanks to her help, we have promoted medical quality and the health indicators of our patients have increased significantly.