Prof. Josef Haik (L), MD, MPH., Plastic Surgeon, Active Director, the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Director of the Burn Center, the Sheba Medical Center together with Pastor Umar Mulinde (R). Courtesy Photo.
Pastor Umar Mulinde was coming out of a church building in Namasuba, about 30 miles outside of Kampala, when Islamic extremists shouting “Allahu Akbar [God is greater]” threw acid on him on Dec. 24, 2011.
“I was attacked by someone who called out to me and when I turned to look over, he spilled acid on me that burned part of my face. When I turned around again, another person spilled acid over my back. They they ran away yelling Allahu Akbar [Allah is great],” he told media then.
During the attack, the pentecostal pastor turned his head in time to avoid being hit directly; his right side bore the brunt of the injury. He was rushed to the hospital, but it was soon evident that Uganda’s medical capabilities to treat such horrific burns were inadequate.
It was at this point that the lead Pastor of Gospel Life Church International was transported to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel. Visas for Mulinde were arranged on short notice by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, thanks to the assistance of JerusalemOnlineU.com board member Ilan Sharon of Minneapolis.
At Sheba Medical Center, Pastor Mulinde got intouch with Professor Josef Haik, the head of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s Burns Unit, and Dr. Joseph Moisseiev, the head of the hospital’s Goldschleger Eye Institute, for initial medical assessment.
He underwent over eight major facial surgeries to reconstruct among others, his right ear, which had been entirely closed over with skin due to acid burns. The surgeries also included reconstructing the eyelid of the affected eye, including skin grafts.
Dr. Josef Haik of Chaim Sheba Medical Center (R) and Ugandan pastor Umar Mulinde (L) in 2012. Courtesy Photo.
As we write today, Pastor Mulinde is grateful to God for saving his life, and using several medical experts in Israel including Professor Josef Haik to help him recover from the life-threatening injuries. Mulinde was provided with medical treatment free of charge.
On Friday, the father of six took to social media to acknowledge, honor and appreciate efforts of the Professor. Umar’s vicious attack was the result of his conversion from Islam to Christianity—a capital crime according to Islamic Shari’a law.
Who is Professor Josef Haik?
Professor Haik is a surgeon from Israel with a strong background in burns and disaster. He is a specialist in Burns/ Reconstruction Plastic Surgery and is the current Director of the National Intensive Care Burn Unit and Director of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer Hospital in Israel.
Professor Haik is affiliated with the Tel Aviv University where he holds a Professorial appointment with the Faculty of Surgery. Josef is also a Member of World Health Organisation – Emergency Medical Team – Technical Working Group on Burns Care.
Professor Haik also holds an adjunct position with the Institute of Health and Research to facilitate greater collaboration between burns and trauma and the Burn Injury Research Node at the University of Notre Dame in Western Australia.
Haik has published over 100 peer reviewed journal articles in the area of Burns trauma and plastic reconstructive surgery.
Not only this, but Dr. Haik is also involved in raising public awareness of the severity of burns and in creating projects for burn prevention on local, regional and national levels. He is the chairmen of the Burn
Prevention Committee of the Israeli Council of Trauma; treasurer of the Israeli Society of Burn
Injuries; and treasurer of the Israeli Society of Plastic Surgery.
Today, Dr. Haik has built and operates a hi-tech Burn Center at Sheba, which will serve as a regional burn center for all of central Israel.
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