(Communicated by the RHCC Spokesperson)
Rambam Health Care Campus, northern Israel’s largest hospital, has been operating a unique facility of great security importance for the entire region since 2014 – the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital, the largest facility of its kind in the world, constructed in response to lessons learned during the Second Lebanon War. Designed to treat 2,000 patients from throughout the northern region, it is managed by a select staff consisting of hospital officials responsible for patient triage, following the status of all vital hospital systems, logistics, and more. This critical information is transferred to the Command Center (War Room) in real time, where it is analyzed and displayed on screens for decision-making purposes, with the help of a dedicated emergency software system developed at Rambam and adopted by the Ministry of Health.
Until now, the Command Center had operated from an unprotected area on the ground floor of the main hospital. In a war situation including an attack scenario on the area, as was the case in the 2006 Lebanon War, staff would have needed to evacuate to a protected facility. Now, everything has changed.
The multi-disciplinary team that operates the hospital during wartime and emergencies will be situated in the new Command Center, built according to the highest of standards—and making it the nerve center of the underground hospital.
The protected area includes a large meeting room for management to plan for and respond to emergency events; an operations room with 16 workstations for personnel, logistics, and more; rooms for the hospital manager and deputies, a staff kitchenette, and restrooms. The construction, carried out by Rambam’s Division of Construction took six months and included installation of new infrastructure such as electrical and communications systems, air conditioning, separation walls and various types of ceilings—all designed to support personal forced to reside underground for an extended period of time.
Of note, the Command Center was planned as part of the construction of the underground hospital, but due to budgetary problems, the work was postponed. Only in 2017, after the donation from the IFCJ, did planning and execution commence. This is not the first donation made by the Fellowship to protect Rambam; they have also contributed to fortified operating rooms in the bottom level of the underground facility.
The inauguration ceremony was held on Monday (May 7 2018) at Rambam, with the participation of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and representatives of the IFCJ, Col. Dr. Olga Polyakov, Chief Surgeon of the Home Front Command, senior representatives of the Home Front Command, and representatives of the Rambam management.
"The Second Lebanon War taught us important lessons on how to prepare for the coming years," said Professor Rafi Beyar, Director of Rambam. He explained, "Rambam has a vital role in protecting the northern population during war or emergency scenarios. With a practical vision and the help of many friends, we established the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital. Today we completed the mission so that we can respond to emergency events in the best possible way for the hundreds of patients expected to reach us from throughout the northern region. We are prepared for any eventuality."
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, said: "In recent years, the foundation has invested NIS 150 million in a variety of life-saving projects, such as renovating 2,400 shelters, fortifying and providing essential equipment for hospitals in the periphery and in conflict zones, purchasing new fire trucks for fire fighters, and more. Over the years, we have experienced, together with the citizens of Israel and security forces, a range of emergency situations. We are committed to standing together with the people of Israel, both in routine and emergency times. In these days of tension on the northern border and the vicinity of the Gaza Strip, it is important for us to make sure that the rescue forces are equipped with the best technologies to deal with any situation and for treatment of casualties. I hope the Command Center inaugurated today will enable the wonderful staff of the hospital to cope with any situation, in order to be able to treat and save the lives of northern residents and Israeli security forces. "