Historic step

The Minister of Health, Head of the Government Hospitals Division, Rishon LeZion Chief Rabbi of Israel, Mayor of Hadera, heads of local authorities and councils, businesspeople, government officials and staff of the medical center all participated in a ceremony marking the laying of the cornerstone for the $70 million building, the foundations of which can already be seen. Completion and occupancy of the first part of the building are planned for 2027. Everyone attending the ceremony spoke of their hope for the immediate and healthy return of the hostages in Gaza as well as the safe return of our soldiers.

The plans for the building were approved long ago by the Ministry of Health, with the understanding of the national need to expand the existing emergency room at Hillel Yaffe, which in recent years has been one of the busiest in Israel, even when compared to larger hospitals.

Laying of the cornerstone for the fortified building at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

The need for a large and fortified emergency room at Hillel Yaffe has also been clearly apparent for quite some time. The ever-growing population of the region, its proximity to strategic sites such as the Orot Rabin power station and the national need for fortified medical treatment areas are only some of the reasons. Last October, many of the wounded in two separate terror attacks were treated at Hillel Yaffe, making the need significant, and even critical, for the residents of the region and the entire country.

Three floors are planned in the first phase of construction. One of the floors will be underground for protected hospitalization; the ground floor will include a 6,000 sq m. emergency room (five times the size of the current ER), with 40 beds for ambulatory patients, a spacious imaging area, 6 beds for treatment of trauma patients, a large area for ambulances, and more. Fortified operating rooms will be built on the next floor. The cost of construction for this phase alone is $70 million (NIS 260 million).

During the ceremony, the building's founding scroll was signed, and the cornerstone of the building was laid, over which the Rishon LeZion, the Honorable Rabbi David Yosef, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, gave his blessing.

Given the construction, which began some time ago, this definitely was a historic moment for the residents of the region and country. Hadera Mayor, Mr. Nir Ben Haim, noted the absolute importance of a large and strong medical center for residents of the region. Everyone in attendance prayed for the speedy and safe return of the hostages and IDF soldiers.