As tensions simmer in the Middle East, Israel's health system is ramping up preparations for potential large-scale conflict scenarios, focusing on two critical challenges: hospitals operating in isolation and widespread power outages.
As reported by Israel HaYom, in the northern city of Nahariya, the Galilee Medical Center has been operating at less than half its capacity for eight months, with patients housed in fortified structures. This reduced functioning is mirrored in Safed's Ziv Medical Center, highlighting the health system's shift to a war footing.
The preparations extend beyond hospital walls. The Israeli Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Home Front Command, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and local authorities, is preparing for prolonged power outages across wide areas. This is part of a broader strategy to prepare for scenarios where hospitals might need to function independently due to mobility restrictions on roads. It includes equipping clinics in border communities with generators and preparing them to function as "unified clinics" serving all HMO members.
A key component of the preparations involves the mapping of approximately 3,000 ventilator-dependent patients or those relying on oxygen generators at home. Plans are in place to evacuate these individuals to geriatric institutions, hotels, or other facilities.
Health Minister Uriel Busso underscored the magnitude of the challenge in a recent address to local government officials. "At any given moment, more than 45,000 people are treated at home, including about 3,000 on ventilators," Busso said. "In a blackout scenario, the tasks for all healthcare organizations will be enormous and endless."
These comprehensive preparations come in the wake of lessons learned from past conflicts, including the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and natural disasters like the extended snowstorm that hit Jerusalem in 2013.
As part of the preparations, trauma capabilities in northern and southern hospitals have been bolstered, with specialists in cardiothoracic surgery and neurosurgery being recruited.
While Israeli officials stress that these preparations are precautionary, they reflect the ongoing tensions in the region and Israel's determination to be ready for any scenario. As the Middle East continues to be a geopolitical flashpoint, Israel's health system stands prepared, hoping for peace but ready for crisis.
