Officials said the facility is now fully operational and can accommodate about 200 inpatients transferred from hospitals that lack sufficient fortification.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Assuta Hospital in Tel Aviv has opened a new underground hospital facility capable of accommodating approximately 200 beds, expanding Israel’s ability to maintain medical services during periods of heightened missile threat.
The underground complex, located at Assuta Medical Center in the Ramat Hachayal area of Tel Aviv, is designed to receive patients transferred from public hospitals that lack sufficient protective infrastructure. The goal is to ensure uninterrupted inpatient care even under significant security conditions, according to hospital officials.
The opening reflects a shift in Health Ministry policy regarding the role of private medical institutions during emergencies. Until now, private health facilities have generally been ordered to close during wartime. However, officials said lessons drawn from the Swords of Iron War and Operation Rising Lion prompted a reassessment of how private hospitals could support the national health system in crisis situations.
As part of the preparation, extensive work was carried out over the past two months to equip the underground floors with full medical infrastructure. This included installing systems for medical gases, electricity and communications to allow the facility to shift immediately into inpatient hospitalization mode if ordered.
Assuta already operates fortified above-ground operating rooms at its Ramat Hachayal campus. During Operation Rising Lion, patients were transferred to those protected operating theaters for lengthy and complex surgical procedures, according to the hospital.
The hospital said the preparations were completed on an accelerated timeline, following intensive work over the past one to two months.
During that period, agreements were finalized, a contracting company was appointed, and infrastructure for medical gases, electricity and communications was installed to enable an immediate shift to underground hospitalization if ordered.
Officials said the facility is now fully operational and can accommodate about 200 inpatients transferred from hospitals that lack sufficient fortification.
The move was described as part of a broader national effort to strengthen the health system’s emergency readiness, with the aim of ensuring continuity of care during crises as part of Israel’s overall resilience framework.
Hospital officials said the new facility is ready for immediate activation if required by the Health Ministry.