Deep under Jerusalem, Israeli medical doctors are making ready for the worst.
Sky Information has been given unique entry to an underground hospital the place they’re increasing capability in case the present battle turns into a lot worse.
In a bunker under the Herzog Medical Centre, the variety of beds has been elevated to 350 – with 100 on the way in which.
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“As a result of it is constructed to resist each organic and chemical assaults,” Dr Yehezkel Caine advised Sky Information as we entered the advanced, “we’ve an airlock which is constructed of two separate units of blast doorways”.
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Past they’ve put in an entire new degree of wards under the present underground hospital, ripping out a logistics ground and putting in extra beds and tools.
The bunkers could be activated ought to different hospitals nearer to the entrance want evacuating.
They’re planning for worst-case situations right here like an all-out struggle with Hezbollah.
“The hospitals within the north will probably be overwhelmed with casualties and so they themselves will come below hearth, during which case they must evacuate their sufferers to the centre of the nation, the identical as we did within the first weeks of the struggle within the south,” mentioned Dr Caine.
He and his workers know the 7 October assault final 12 months by Hamas and Iran’s missile and drone barrage earlier this month have modified all the things for the folks of Israel.
“For the civilian inhabitants for the reason that struggle of independence we have by no means been in a scenario the place the risk to the civilian inhabitants has been as nice,” he mentioned.
Two units of blast doorways type an airlock towards organic and chemical assaults
Above floor, the Herzog Medical Centre continues with its peacetime specialisms.
It has Israel’s largest ventilator unit, treating adults and kids, but in addition excels in psycho-trauma remedy and geriatric rehabilitation.
Lots of these struggling PTSD from the trauma on this battle are handled right here.
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If Jerusalem itself is attacked, the hospital can evacuate even probably the most susceptible to the bunkers under in only a few hours.
The bunkers may be fully sealed off for 96 hours in what’s referred to as a Noah’s Ark process.
The Herzog drills its workers frequently. Getting ready for a actuality it hopes won’t ever come. However occasions on the northern border are wanting ominous.
Israel has launched one in every of its largest bombardments but of Hezbollah after a number of shelling of northern Israeli communities.
The lower-level struggle continues with the ever-present hazard of escalation into one thing a lot larger.
If it comes, medical doctors in Jerusalem’s largest underground hospital say they’re going to be prepared.
