Deputy Minister for Elderly Affairs Leah Ness opened Israel's first missile-proof hospital geriatric wing in Ashkelon Thursday morning. The project, at Barzilai Hospital, was developed in order to ensure the safety of elderly patients who may not be able to get from the geriatric ward to bomb shelters during the short warning period before a Kassam or Katyusha missile attack. The ward, which is reinforced to ensure safety in the wake of either kind of attack, also has an air filtration system, to defend against chemical and biological attacks.
The ward, in its own building, was built jointly by the Office for Pensioner Affairs and the Health Ministry. At a total cost of NIS 4.4 million. The 400 square meter building has room for 30 beds, as well as labs, examination rooms and work areas, in order to enable staff to continue caring for patients during an attack. In a statement, Ness' office said that the Barzilai facility is the first above-ground geriatric facility built from the ground up to withstand attack.