Immigrant physician awarded second medal for saving lives - Haaretz

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Sat., August 11, 2007 Av 27, 5767

Israel Time: 15:38 (EST+7)

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		Dr. Alexei Kalganov. Decorated twice for valor. (Itzik Ben Malki)

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Last update - 10:16 10/08/2007

Immigrant physician awarded second medal for saving lives

By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondet

The patients waiting to be treated by Dr. Alexei Kalganov seemed more excited than the orthopedist himself when Kalganov's immediate commander in the Israel Defense Forces appeared at his Leumit clinic in Netanya on Wednesday. He arrived to inform Kalganov, a captain in the reserves, that he would be receiving the Medal of Distinguished Service from the chief of staff in another three weeks.

Kalganov, who serves as a doctor in the infantry corps, previously received the medal for saving the life of a soldier who was critically wounded in Bethlehem during Operation Defensive Shield.

This time, he will be getting the medal, which is awarded for an act of exemplary bravery in the line of duty, for his actions during the Second Lebanon War last summer, when he once again saved the life of a soldier.

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On August 5 of last year, Ronen Jarad was being choked by smoke after an IDF shell landed nearby, fired in response to a barrage of Hezbollah mortar shells and anti-tank fire. Unable to breathe, he lost consciousness.

"I knew that his condition was bad and that something needed to be done," said Kalganov, 40, who was serving with him in the reserves.

And so Kalganov did quick field surgery, inserting a small tube into Jarad's throat to allow him to breathe. A few minutes later, he began regaining consciousness and his condition improved.

A special military committee decided to grant Kalganov the Medal of Distinguished Service for saving his comrade's life, noting that Kalganov showed devotion to the task and professionalism during combat and served as a role model.

"It's very exciting and a very big honor," Kalganov said about the medal. "We all know that the IDF doesn't hand out medals and badges for everything, like other armies do. I don't see myself as a hero. I act like any doctor, who is obligated to provide the best for his patients and his soldiers in a time of need. As a doctor in an infantry corps unit, I had already been in quite a few difficult situations in the territories, but the war in Lebanon was particularly tough: I lost five friends there under Hezbollah's unceasing fire. Even for me, as a doctor who saw difficult events from up close, it was complicated to cope with all that could be seen in the field."

Kalganov, a married father of two, moved from Russia to Israel in 1992. He worked as an orthopedist in Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera and at health clinics in the area. Two years after immigrating to Israel, he was recruited for reserve duty in the IDF and got his first taste of fighting in Lebanon. He has been a combat doctor since 1996.

"I'm not worried," he said. "I understand that this is my job."

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1.	Kol haKavod	09:00	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	10/08/07

2.	A true hero	10:30	\|	Yonatan	10/08/07

3.	AND WHAT IF HIS RABBI WILL TELL HIM	11:42	\|	Robert	10/08/07

4.	Lebanon salutes him	12:02	\|	george	10/08/07

5.	How many years an immigrant	14:12	\|	DI	10/08/07

6.	Honor where honor is due.	14:31	\|	H.H.M	10/08/07

7.	#3....lemme guess you were having cappuchinos during the war	15:56	\|	zaq	10/08/07

8.	This is a great man	16:37	\|	Sherman	10/08/07

9.	Spasibo Geroy - Thank you Hero!	17:46	\|	Alex K	10/08/07

10.	Propaganda	15:34	\|	Armadilo	11/08/07

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