A First in the World Emergency Response to ‘Rising Lion’

During the past 5 years, Sheba’s medical personnel, support staff and infrastructure teams have been tasked to stop their daily routines, pivot and then move entire departments to fortified underground locations.

Starting with the corona era and continuing through various conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, Sheba’s 11,000 personnel have performed admirably. But nothing could prepare them for what has taken place during the past 10 days.

For the first time in its 77 year history, Sheba Medical Center has become the first hospital in the world to shift its multitude of patient care divisions into 6 different fortified locations—5 underground and 1 above.

This herculean task has been performed with precision and elan, as Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba, has used his unprecedented past experience as the IDF’s Surgeon General to create a game-changing scenario amidst heavy rocket fire in the metro Tel Aviv region.

Over 700 patients from a wide range of departments have been moved to various underground locations including:

• Maternity Hospital   –Orthopedic Hospital –New MSR (medical simulation) Building

• Padeh Geriatric Hospital 

 ABOVE ground, the new fortified Azrieli Cardiac Wing is housing sick children from the Lily and Edmond Safra Children’s Hospital.

In addition, Sheba has unveiled a state-of-the-art underground fully functional Field Hospital, within a complex that is still under construction.  Patients from the stroke/neurology and neurosurgical units are being treated in the Field Hospital.

And as Sheba has always lent an outstretched hand in need, the hospital provided a safe haven for over 40 patients who were in the midst of various treatments at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, when an Iranian missile struck the facility. They are receiving compassionate care from our medical staff, which has been updated on their condition from the Soroka staff. Truly, hope without boundaries!

In this week’s edition, our cameras take you inside our expanding efforts to save lives within a welcoming environment, highlighted by our incredible staff!