WATCH | Israeli hospitals shift wards to the parking lots as the country navigates through Iranian attacks

Hospitals in Israel relocated some of their wards to underground parking areas after Iran unleashed a massive missile attack over Israeli territory. On Friday evening, Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles into Israeli territory , including the country’s capital, Tel Aviv.

While Israel’s world-class Iron Dome managed to intercept most of the Iranian missiles, one of them hit a residential building in Tel Aviv, killing three people and injuring 20 others. As fears of conflict escalation grow in both countries, several hospitals in Israel have relocated their wards to the underground parking areas.

According to the visuals obtained by Reuters, Israelis were seen creating make-shift hospitals inside parking lots, in a bid to remain prepared in case of emergency. Not only this, but ICU buses were used to move patients to the shelters during Iran’s overnight strike on Israeli territories.

‘Prepare for the worst’

Hospitals across Israel have gone into emergency mode, moving operations underground as the country braces for further escalation of the conflict. According to Ynet News, at around 3 am (local time), air raid sirens echoed across Israel, warning of a possible Iranian response . Within minutes, hospital directors mobilised staff, transferred patients to fortified areas, and discharged those stable enough to go home.

A spokesperson for Sheba Medical Centre told the Israeli news outlet that the hospital began its emergency relocation with the children’s ward. “We are moving them to the underground facility that we have had before under the maternity wing,” the spokesperson said. Throught Friday, the centre continued relocating patients to protected areas beneath its orthopaedic and cardiac units.

“Piece by piece, phase by phase, the hospital is being moved underground,” the spokesperson said. “The general intensive care unit is already protected, as is the operating room, and the hospital continues to operate as usual," he added.

Other hospitals across the country also reported emergency shifts from the northern border to Israel’s southern regions. Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa announced that its underground parking lot had been closed to vehicles as part of the national response plan. Its emergency room, however, remained open and fully operational, Ynet News reported.

Across the country, the public has been asked not to visit unless they have urgent medical needs. Some hospitals noted that all ambulatory services had been cancelled and that existing appointments would be rescheduled. “The public is asked not to come to the hospital unless it is a medical emergency,” said Ohad Hochman, head of Bnai Zion Medical Centre. Overall, Israel is preparing itself for any form of escalation from Iran or any of its adversaries.

With inputs from agencies.