Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, one of Israel’s largest medical centers, has opened its underground protected hospital in anticipation of further escalation in the war. The fortified complex spans 5,000 square meters and two floors of the hospital’s underground car park. The underground hospital holds 200 beds.

Within the underground hospital, there is an intensive care ward where the most serious patients will be treated as well as two internal wards and a dialysis unit with 20 stations. These wards are located on the higher floors of the hospital’s above-ground towers and face increased exposure to attacks by rockets which is why they are being moved underground. In addition to the underground hospital, all of the above-ground hospital buildings – such as the Davidoff Center, Gur Shasha Tower and the Women’s Hospital – have secure spaces and floors so that they can continue to treat patients without having to move the most critical ones during an attack. The hospital’s emergency department is completely protected and includes a trauma center and more than 100 stations to treat both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients. 

The underground hospital was initially built a few years ago for NIS 36 million and has since been used four times during large-scale military operations. It has also hosted several IDF simulations and trainings for a scenario such as this. 

“Our highest priority is to treat our patients and unfortunately, past experience has shown us that during war, there is a need to have a fortified hospital so that we can continue treating patients during a rocket attack or even a chemical attack,” said Beilinson Hospital CEO Dr. Eitan Wirtheim. “Our staff is trained for these types of scenarios and how to continue patient care during times like these. Because of their extensive training for a situation like this, they jump right into action.”

Dr. Wirtheim appointed Professor Yaron Niv, former Israeli Ministry of Health senior deputy director, physician and an expert in quality of care and patient safety as the director of the underground hospital. The underground hospital is open and ready to take in a large number of casualties and provide a wide variety of medical treatment throughout the duration of the war.

About Beilinson Hospital

As one of Israel’s largest and most prominent medical centers, Beilinson leads the charge in implementing new innovative treatments while maintaining the highest standards of quality medical and nursing care. Since 1936, Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah has grown to serve more than 500,000 patients annually. The 1,300-bed hospital in Central Israel, staffed by a team of 4,500 medical and support professionals, has 37 operating rooms, performs over 70-percent of all organ transplants in Israel, and welcomes more than 9,000 babies into the world through its robust labor and delivery department. For more information, please visit the hospital’s website.