Friendly healer

Dr Moris Topaz (right) joins the rescue work in Deyang, Sichuan province, during the earthquake in 2008.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Topaz has visited Deyang many times to teach and help doctors there in the past years. Chinese doctors from the hospital were also invited to his medical center to study with Israeli experts.

Thanks to his help, the hospital has expanded its burns and plastic surgery department. It now has dozens of doctors and nurses, from an original count of two doctors.

Topaz has also brought in the latest in medical technology from Israel, including TopCloser, a groundbreaking method for closing large wounds. The method can reduce the complexity of such injuries and shorten the duration of a surgery. It also allows a wound to heal faster and reduces the aftereffects.

Since the method was first used during the earthquake relief in 2008, it has been adopted by more than 150 hospitals in Sichuan, helping many injured people recover relatively quickly.

"I see it as a mission (to promote the method), because it would substantially change medicine globally," he says.

Topaz now returns to China on a monthly basis as his organization has expanded its collaboration with more medical institutions in the country. He usually stays for about one week during each visit. Modern technology has made communication between him and his Chinese colleagues easier, he says.

When he is in Israel, he uses WeChat, a popular Chinese phone app, to exchange ideas with Chinese doctors. His colleagues from here also frequently consult with him by sending him photos of patients' wounds, and he guides them on surgeries by making illustrations.

Topaz's dedication has been recognized by authorities here.

In 2009, he was given the Friendship Award, the highest honor given by the Chinese government to foreigners who have made significant contributions to the country's social and economic development.

Besides his own activities in China, Topaz has tried to bring in more support. For example, he introduced his colleague Meir Oren, a former CEO of Hillel Yaffe, to China so that their organization could establish deeper collaborations with Chinese hospitals and expand them to fields like emergency preparedness.

In the past years, many Chinese doctors from quite a few partner hospitals have received training at their center in Israel and delegations of Israeli doctors have also visited China.

In the eyes of Topaz, the cooperation with China is both a process of sharing and learning. "This is for the benefit of both countries," he says. "We can use this as a tool to improve Sino-Israeli relations. If I now look back, I can say we have achieved a lot."