Soroka Medical Center Expands Israel's Busiest Emergency Room by 50%
Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba has inaugurated its expanded emergency department, increasing its capacity by 50 percent to strengthen medical care and emergency readiness in the Negev region.
The busiest emergency department in Israel has undergone a historic expansion. The expanded Francis and Nathan Kirsch Emergency Department at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba was officially inaugurated on Tuesday. The project increased the department's area by approximately 50 percent, adding about 2,000 square meters, over 40 treatment stations, and two trauma bays. The emergency room now operates more than 110 treatment stations and eight trauma bays, a move designed to significantly improve medical care conditions for Negev residents during routine times and strengthen readiness for emergency situations.
The strategic importance of the Beersheba emergency room was highlighted on October 7, when medical teams faced an unprecedented mass casualty event. Within a single day, Soroka admitted and treated 674 wounded individuals, including civilians and security forces personnel, many in critical condition. Throughout the ongoing war, the hospital has served as a central medical frontline, treating the highest number of wounded in the healthcare system while maintaining routine care for residents of the South.
The emotional highlight of the inauguration ceremony was provided by Yair Avital, a resident of Kibbutz Be'eri and local security squad commander, who was severely wounded on October 7 and treated at Soroka. "When I arrived at the emergency department, I received pain medication for the first time after a day of indescribable suffering," Avital said. "In an unbelievable contrast to encountering evil, at Soroka I met kind eyes, giant hearts, and genuine patience. You did not give up and continued to help me find my family."
Soroka Director Prof. Shlomi Codish noted that life-saving decisions are made in the emergency room where minutes change a person's trajectory. Ministry of Health Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov praised the human fabric at the hospital, describing Soroka as an example of Israeli society that should be emulated, where people from all backgrounds work together with dedication.
