Rambam Hospital in Haifa
Photo: Doron Golan
Cabinet okays plan to fortify hospitals
Ministers approve NIS 479 million budget for fortifying seven border-area hospitals in north and south
The cabinet approved Sunday allocating NIS 479 million ($114 million) for the fortification of seven hospitals located near Israel's southern and northern borders.
The plan includes fortification of the Nahariya hospital, which sustained Katyusha hits during the Second Lebanon War, and the Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon, which serves as the sole emergency medical center for the residents of the near-Gaza communities. The Poriyah and Rambam hospitals in Haifa and the three Nazareth hospitals will also be fortified.
According to the cabinet's decision, the fortification project will be carried out during the next four years. The Health Ministry will allot another NIS 130 million ($30 million) out of its budget for the plan, and the remainder of the funding is to be received from non-governmental organizations.
The plan will include the fortification of operating rooms and delivery rooms, the setting up of fortified hospital wards, as well as the upgrading of emergency rooms in public hospitals that are not owned by the HMOs.
Health Minister Yacov Ben Yizri said that "this is great achievement for the health system. These places should be fortified in order to ensure proper care to casualties at times of rocket attacks. We hope to complete the works within four years, with construction set to begin very soon."
