Barzilai Medical Center (Hebrew: מרכז רפואי ברזילי, Merkaz Refu'i Barzilai; Arabic: مركز برزيلاي الطبي) is a 600-bed district general hospital in Ashkelon, Israel opened in 1961.[1] The hospital serves a population of 500,000, including a large number of Ethiopian and Russian immigrants, and has more than 100,000 admissions annually.
The Barzilai University Medical Center opened on 20 July 1961, and was initially named Ashkelon Hospital. Construction was financed by the Ministry of Health with the assistance of the South African Zionist Federation,[2] the Ashkelon municipality and Mifal HaPayis. The building was designed by the architect David Brutzkus, covering an area of 8,000m².
The first wards to be established were the pediatric and obstetrics departments, with 15 beds set aside for use by the Israel Defense Force. Dr. Michael Lavih, a medical officer in the air-force, was appointed director of the hospital. From 1961 to 1966, the number of beds rose to 150 and the surgery, internal medicine and orthopedic departments opened. A nursing school was inaugurated in 1966.[3]
In 1971, the hospital was renamed for Minister of HealthYisrael Barzilai, who had laid the cornerstone of the building in the early 1960s.[4] and who had died the previous year.
In 2021, Barzilai Medical Center introduced an innovative treatment for chronic skin wounds that combines plastic surgery and orthopedic rehabilitation. The clinic is open to anyone suffering from chronic ulcers or deep wounds in skin tissue.[5]
Effect of Israel-Hamas Conflict
Situated six miles from Gaza, the hospital has been the target of numerous Qassam and Grad rocket attacks, sometimes as many as 140 in one weekend. The hospital plays a vital role in treating wounded soldiers and terror victims.[6]
Palestinian and Israeli families find a shelter at Barzilai hospital during shelling from Grad rockets from the Gaza StripAftermath of a Hamas rocket hit on the maternity ward of Barzilai Medical Center, on October 8, 2023[7]
Plans to build a new rocket and missile-proof emergency room for the hospital in 2010 were hampered by ultra-orthodox protests sparked by the discovery of human remains in an ancient burial ground unearthed during construction activities.[8] The hospital's new fortified emergency room was dedicated on February 20, 2018.[9]
Since the beginning of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Barzilai Medical Center has endured three direct rocket hits. Despite its vulnerable location, the hospital is only partially protected, resulting in a current occupancy rate of just 30%, far below its capacity and need.[10]
On October 8 2023, the second day of the conflict, hospital administration decided to relocate all patients from the women's and high-risk pregnancy departments to a protected underground area. This decision proved crucial, as shortly afterward, a rocket struck close to the evacuated departments. The hospital director, Prof. Hazi Levi, emphasized the importance of this preemptive action, especially given the severity of damage evident in the aftermath of the rocket strikes.[7]
Despite the danger, the hospital's protection is only partial, which has led to a limited operational capacity. An underground protected area was built, accommodating 285 beds, but the hospital still struggles with challenges like caring for premature infants and conducting dialysis treatments under these circumstances.[7]
