The cornerstone-laying ceremony for ALEH’s forthcoming Neuro-Orthopedic Rehabilitation Hospital in Israel’s Negev region. Photo: ALEH.org.

JNS.org — The cornerstone was laid this week for a new rehabilitation hospital in Israel’s Negev region, that will provide much needed long-term care to the the country’s southern residents.

A project of ALEH — an Israeli network of facilities serving children with severe and complex disabilities — the Neuro-Orthopedic Rehabilitation Hospital, funded in part by the Israeli government and the Jewish National Fund, is set to open in 2019. It will feature three 36-bed inpatient wards specializing in neurological, spinal and orthopedic rehabilitation, and will utilize advanced technologies, such as robotics and virtual reality. The development of a sports center, public facilities for outpatient services and a research center are also planned for future stages of construction, according to ALEH.

The hospital is part of Blueprint Negev, a major initiative by JNF in partnership with ALEH, to help encourage medical professionals to remain in southern Israel and provide specialized care for the Negev.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran rehabilitation village, said he hopes that the new medical center will go far to correct the obstacles faced by those looking for advanced facilities in Israel’s underserved southern region.

“We believe that the residents of the south deserve the same care as those in every other part of the country,” Almog said.

“ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran is a flagship project in JNF’s major plan for the development of the Negev. Through our fundraising efforts, JNF supports and enhances this remarkable village and will now continue to support the planned Rehabilitation Hospital at ALEH,” said Eric Michaelson, JNF’s chief Israel officer.

“The village is attracting doctors, caregivers, teachers and others, stimulating the local economy and with the new hospital will continue doing so,” he said.