The Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya has seen a very significant rise in the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients.
As of Tuesday, the hospital is caring for 90 coronavirus patients, 30 of whom are in serious condition and six of whom are intubated or on the border of being intubated.
Among the patients are six women before or after birth.
To help manage the overload, Professor Masad Barhoum, General Director of the Galilee Medical Center, has instructed hospital staff to open a fourth coronavirus ward, at the expense of one of the internal medicine wards.
"The combination of coronavirus infections and winter infections, and especially with the high rate of coronavirus infections, has brought us to the limit of our abilities, and we may need to cease elective activities," he said.
On Monday, a report showed that central Israel has ten times the number of ECMO (heart and lung) machines per capita than northern Israel. In addition, the number of CT and MRI machines, as well as other services and machines, are also found in lower numbers in the periphery.