Son of Dr. Reuven and Rachel, was born on November 7, 1942.) At the Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, his family lived in Kfar Menahem, where his father worked as a doctor. And moved to Tel Aviv in 1952. Ahikam studied at the elementary school in Tel Aviv. Wizman in Rehovot and the Balfour Elementary School in Tel Aviv, where he continued to study at the Alliance Israelite Universelle (Alliance) and completed his studies at the Geula High School. Was influenced by his father’s work as a doctor, and when he was a child he decided to study the medical profession, and was impressed by the actions of his father, who served as a doctor in the permanent army. In the medical profession he saw a mission and a life-essence, and therefore his approach to studies and action was serious and mature, stemming from a sense of responsibility and recognition of purpose. Ahikam had a quick perception and excellent memory. Because of these qualities, his spiritual development and mental development were higher than average. Ahikam was drafted into the IDF at the end of August 1960. The IDF agreed to postpone his service so that he could study the medical profession. He began his studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and completed his studies at the Faculty of Medicine of Tel Aviv University. He was awarded the title of “Doctor of Medicine” after graduating with honors, and in 1969 began his service in the IDF and was involved in general medicine. As responsible for the placement of doctors in the Sinai region, he established himself as a doctor of the Bedouin tribes in southern Sinai. It was a difficult task, requiring special skills and willingness to stay among the desert dwellers. It was natural and obvious to deny them that he would not appoint another doctor for this difficult task and that he would take it upon himself. His main clinic was in Abu Rudes, where the Bedouin came to receive medical treatment. Ahikam was able to gain the trust of the Bedouin, who until his arrival were satisfied with primitive medical treatment based on superstitions and traditional medicines. He managed to establish close ties with the Bedouins, who trusted him and his methods. He made them believe in the power of man, the doctor, to treat diseases and wounds, and were willing to accept the drugs and treatment he suggested. From the base in Abu-Rhodes, he would go on a tour of Sinai and reach every place where Bedouin tribes lived. At every visit he would examine the people, diagnose diseases and treat the sick. The fact that the Bedouin women, who are closing themselves off from foreign men, was willing to deposit themselves for examination and even remove the veil that covered their faces. Things came so much that the men themselves would send their wives to the doctor for treatment. People who were close to his work testify that his name was a legend among the Bedouin. They had an indescribable respect for him and a great deal of concern for his welfare. They did not hesitate to contact him at all hours of the day, because they knew that he would not refuse them and went out to provide the necessary treatment to anyone who needed it. He never limited his hours of work, and even after returning from a long and exhausting day of touring Sinai, he was willing to accept any call, completely ignoring his fatigue and the hardships of the day. He said, “From Allah, send us the doctor, he knows everything – what he says – we do – what the doctor does – it is good for the Bedouin.” Allah will protect him and his family and the Jews as well. In 1970, after completing his position in the Sinai, he completed an officer training course in medicine. He volunteered to serve in the regular army and was appointed a doctor at the Medical Center of the Air Force. As part of this corps, he was trained as a flight doctor, and was promoted to the rank of Major. He was sent to internship in internal medicineAt the hospital in Tel Hashomer. In his work as a physician he was discovered to be a lover of man and a doctor responsible and dedicated to his job. In all his actions he was guided by the sense of mission that characterizes the medical profession. Ahikam was a modest man who avoided the publicity and was known for his honesty and cleanness. His outstanding feature was the love of the people and the state and his willingness to do all he could for his homeland. In his work, he succeeded in fulfilling his childhood dream – to become a doctor and to integrate his work in the IDF, and was involved in space medicine in the United States. In the Yom Kippur War, Ahikam served as an air-conditioned physician. He took part in 15 sorties in helicopters and airplanes and was involved in rescuing casualties. He was dispatched to a rescue operation on the first night of the fighting. From the moment his plane landed at the airport in Sinai, the medical team he headed was operating quickly and efficiently. The wounded were put on the plane, checked and received initial treatment. When the plane landed at the airport in central Israel, the wounded were ready to be transferred to the hospital. On one of the rescue flights he was ordered to evacuate wounded Egyptians. The officers among them testified that the medical treatment given to them was dedicated and treated fairly and humanely. As an airborne doctor, Ahikam was a partner in the rescue of many wounded people who owed him their lives, thanks to the rapid diagnosis and treatment they received, despite the difficult conditions of the flight. After the fighting ended, he returned to his residency in the hospital and married his wife, Tzipora. Only three weeks after his marriage he was called to the Airborne Medical Unit, due to a state of alert. On May 27, 1974, during the rescue of casualties in the Hermon region, the helicopter was killed and he was killed and brought to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul, leaving behind a wife, parents and brother in a letter of condolence to the bereaved family Wrote the Chief Medical Officer: “Dr. Ahikam was part of the great family of the medical corps; Part of our landscape, in which we all lived, united in our cause, was to contribute to the advancement of our corps. We have already become accustomed to Dr. Avni, and his sudden absence also caused us great pain. We lost a good friend, an excellent doctor and an officer whose future was ahead of him. “The Tel Hashomer hospital established a consulting clinic in his memory, named after him, and was published in a booklet published by his classmates at the Geula High School, .
