Medical staff headed by Dr. Ilan Gur head of the Premature Baby Department at Bikur Cholim Hospital flew yesterday to Liubliana in Slovania in order to bring back to Israel an Israeli preemie born to an Israeli mother in the middle of a vacation.

A month ago a Jerusalem couple set out for a vacation to Liubliana in Slovania. The mother who was in her sixth month of pregnancy suddenly felt birth pangs in the middle of the trip. She was rushed to the Matrini Clinic Center Hospital in the town and there her son was born weighing in at 580 gram.

The parents made every effort to bring the baby to Israel but they found that the insurance policy they had taken out did not cover flying a preemie. The parents turned to the administration of Bikur Cholim Hospital, to Mr. Arkady Gaydamak who agreed to give his private plane for the purpose of flying the preemie and his parents to Israel.

Mr. Arkady Gaydamak the owner of Bikur Cholim Hospital instructed his staff to take on the mission and in a logistic and technical project his plane was transferred overnight into a flying ambulance.

The medical staff headed by Dr. Ilan Gur who took on themselves the mission took with them sophisticated medical equipment and a special incubator earmarked for missions of this kind. The baby went through the flight well aided by oxygen he received and cared for by a doctor, nurse and respiratory technician.

Last night the parents, the preemie and the medical staff landed in Israel. The baby was rushed from the airport in a Magen David intensive care ambulance straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Department at Bikur Cholim Hospital. Dr. Ilan Gur said that the preemie received good medical treatment in the hospital in Slovania and his condition is very good. The baby developed satisfactorily and with no medical complications.

The parents thanked Mr. Gaydamak and the medical staff who agreed to fly and bring their son back to Israel.

Enc. Photos of the preemie, his parents, and the medical staff in Liubliana in the plane and in Bikur Cholim.

For more details" Shimon Malka Hospital Spokesman: 054-6718228