Hospitals across Israel are preparing for an influx of patients with coronavirus Covid-19. At Sheba Medical Center, the team jumped to action – in only 72 hours, they prepared an advanced underground emergency care center for critical cases. The ward will house 45 beds dedicated for patients who require ventilators and urgent medical treatment.
Professor Haim Berkenstadt, Director of Anesthesiology & Intensive Care, explained to Calcalist, the Israeli newspaper, that Sheba is planning ahead in preparation for the next stage of the coronavirus outbreak. Experts predict that the next stage may begin within the next week and lead to many complex cases.
The new underground site is an emergency hospital building that was never used before. It has its own distinct infrastructure for oxygen lines, electricity, monitors, and more. This unit will be staffed by teams that were specially trained to treat coronavirus patients. The dedicated personnel come from internal medicine, ER, and nursing staff. Sheba expedited their training and is providing the necessary protective gear for medical workers.
“Preparing the team requires special training for treating incredibly severe clinical conditions when the caregiver is wearing maximal protection,” Prof. Berkenstadt said.
In order to avoid seeing the same outcomes and mortality rate as Italy, Israel is quickly fortifying its emergency care abilities.
“We hope the facility will serve as a tie-breaker that will help us defeat the virus,” said Dr. Itai Pessach, Director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital at Sheba.
Introducing Sheba’s Critical Care Corona Unit
The head of Sheba Medical Center’s Infectious Disease unit, Professor Gili Regev-Yochay, speaks with Steve Walz, our international spokesperson, about Sheba’s new Critical Care Corona Unit (CCCU) underground complex.
