Assuta Hospital in the Ramat Hachayal section of Tel Aviv has opened a new underground hospital, which could accommodate approximately 200 beds.
The new complex is intended to receive patients from public hospitals that are not sufficiently protected, therefore ensuring continuous care even under a significant missile threat.
In addition, at Assuta Medical Center Ramat HaHayal, a system of fortified above-ground operating rooms is in operation, and in the past, during Operation Rising Lion, patients were transferred there for lengthy and complex surgeries.
Thus far, the Ministry of Health has ordered the closure of private health institutions during emergencies. However, lessons learned from the Swords of Iron War and Operation Rising Lion have led to a new approach.
In the past two months, intensive work has been carried out to establish medical gas, electricity, and communications infrastructure in the underground floors, in order to enable an immediate transition to inpatient hospitalization mode.
Dr. Shani Brosh, Head of the Medical Division at Assuta Medical Centers, emphasized: “In the past month or two, there has been very intensive activity. An agreement was signed, a contracting company was appointed, and infrastructure for medical gases, electricity, and communications was built to allow a move to underground complexes on the day of an order. Today, the infrastructure is in place and can accommodate about 200 hospitalized patients on behalf of other hospitals that do not have fortification."
Assuta Medical Centers CEO Gidi Leshet clarified that this is part of a long-term national resilience strategy: “Maintaining continuity of care as part of the health system’s emergency framework is a national mission, and part of our purpose - and we are proud to take part in its implementation."