Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer inaugurated Israel’s only protected hyperbaric medicine center on Monday, according to a statement provided by the Kadar Fund’s media adviser, expanding treatment options for wounded soldiers, civilians, and patients with complex medical needs. The Michal and Dr. Abraham Kadar Center for Hyperbaric Medicine was established through a donation of about NIS 22 million from the Kadar family and is located in Sheba’s Mordechai Shani Integrated Rehabilitation Hospital.
The hospital said the center has begun receiving its first patients from Sheba and from outside the medical center. Sheba said the new facility is intended to serve patients from across Israel and strengthen the hospital’s rehabilitation capabilities during both routine periods and emergencies.
Protected care during emergencies
The system includes two advanced pressure chambers, among the largest of their kind in Israel, enabling treatment for 24 patients simultaneously, according to the statement. The center’s underground location makes it the only protected pressure chamber facility in Israel, Sheba said.
The new center is expected to support treatment for complex wounds, radiation damage, diabetes-related complications, and other conditions requiring improved oxygen delivery to tissue. Sheba said the facility is also expected to become part of future research activity in the field.
Hyperbaric medicine and rehabilitation
Hyperbaric treatment is based on breathing high-concentration oxygen under pressure, a process intended to increase oxygen supply to damaged tissue. The treatment is used in selected cases involving impaired blood flow, complex infections, and chronic wounds, and can sometimes help prevent amputations, according to the statement.
The opening comes as Sheba continues to expand its medical infrastructure and rehabilitation capabilities. Recent Jerusalem Post reporting has covered Sheba’s treatment of wounded soldiers, its underground emergency preparedness, its rise to seventh place in Newsweek and Statista’s 2026 global hospital ranking, and its expansion of advanced medical infrastructure at Tel Hashomer.
Kadar family donation
The center is the latest philanthropic initiative by Michal and Dr. Abraham Kadar, a physician-scientist, whose work has focused on education, culture, science, and now public health. According to the statement, the family moved to support the project after meeting wounded soldiers and identifying the 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,” Michal and Dr. Abraham 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.”
Prof. Amatai Ziv, director of the Mordechai Shani Integrated Rehabilitation Hospital at Sheba, said the center would allow the hospital to provide broad, precise, and multidisciplinary care while advancing research in the field. He thanked Michal and Dr. Abraham Kadar for the partnership and donation that, he said, would help Sheba provide the best response for its patients.
“In today’s changing reality, our role is to serve as a beacon of stability and excellence,” said Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, director-general of Sheba Medical Center. “The new super-center will serve as a national anchor for the home front, providing advanced medical care to patients from across the country.”