In the early 2000’s, with the outbreak of the Second Intifada, the residents of Gush Etzion and Efrat found themselves in a complex situation.  The main artery that connected the Gush with Jerusalem was not safe due to shooting attacks and rock-throwing, and the residents were not able to travel to Jerusalem to receive much-needed medical care.

Dr Yitzchak Glick, a physician and Efrat resident, established a remote medical facility in a caravan that provided services in the evenings and overnight.

In the years since we discovered that there was a need for a wider array of medical services and we decided to expand our activities.  In 2008 the Machar moved to its new home – The Machar Building.

The Machar building houses varied medical services, among which are clinics for members of Maccabi and Meuchedet, Efrat Pharm, the community police station and a base for Magen David Adom.

In 2023 an imaging center (x-ray and ultrasound) was established, under the auspices of the Machar, to serve members of health funds and gives recourse in the evening hours to patients of the Emergency Medical Center (the Machar).

The Machar is the center for medical care in Gush Etzion.  It operates with the cooperation of the Efrat Council as well as the Gush Etzion Regional Council.   It provides first aid training to the community and collaborates with other medical entities – health funds, Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah, the IDF, Israel Police, rescue units, community preparedness units and fire departments.

The Machar provides lectures and training on health topics to the community, with the goal of building community health preparedness to the residents of Efrat, Gush Etzion, and the surrounding areas.