Clalit Health Services has opened a new rocket-protected hospital designed to safeguard some of the nation’s most vulnerable patients as Iran continues to fire ballistic missiles at the Jewish state, the healthcare provider said on Sunday.
Located in Rishon Letzion, the hospital on March 8 began receiving 216 patients transferred from rehabilitation and geriatric facilities that lack adequate protected spaces, along with their medical and nursing teams, Clalit said.
The complex operation involved dozens of ambulances transporting elderly and medically fragile patients from cities across Israel, even as air-raid sirens continued to sound.
“The decision to establish Magen HaAri hospital reflects the urgent needs of this moment,” said Dr. Eytan Wirtheim, CEO of Clalit Health Services.
“Since the beginning of the current conflict, we have taken extensive measures to reduce patient density and strengthen protection in hospitals, achieving more than 90% optimal protection across our 14 hospitals,” he was quoted as saying.
The initiative was advanced amid a nationwide shortage of fully protected inpatient facilities, Clalit noted.
“Many patients in rehabilitation and geriatric facilities are bedridden. … Our responsibility is to ensure a safe and protected environment for these patients and for the medical teams caring for them around the clock,” Wirtheim continued.
“A society is ultimately judged by its ability to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” he said.
The establishment of the hospital required rapid coordination across Israel’s healthcare system. Wirtheim thanked Israel Ministry of Health Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov and the ministry’s teams for their cooperation and support, which made it possible to launch the initiative in such a short time.
Hundreds of Clalit employees took part in the effort, including physicians, nurses, engineers, IT specialists, logistics teams and operations staff who worked around the clock to prepare the facility, the healthcare provider said.
The operation also involved coordination with other elements across Israel’s healthcare system.
Dr. Tatiana Vender, director of Clalit’s Beit Rivka Geriatric Medical Center in Petach Tikvah and a specialist in neurology and physical and rehabilitation medicine, will serve as the hospital’s director.
The initial direct cost of establishing the hospital is estimated at approximately four million shekels ($1.29 million), Clalit said.
