Israeli Hospitals Practice Response to Biological Terror Attack

Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center's Mount Scopus campus and the Ministry of Health conducted a large-scale drill on Tuesday simulating a deliberate biological terror attack. The exercise, part of routine national preparedness for unconventional terror scenarios, involved emergency and rescue services across Israel.

During the drill, Hadassah teams practiced the necessary medical procedures from initial diagnosis and specialized life-saving treatment to patient release, following the identification of such an event. The exercise was planned and led by the Ministry of Defense, with participation from all Israeli emergency and rescue bodies.

The drill was deemed successful, with participants demonstrating significant knowledge and control. Dr. Shadan Salameh-Yousef, Director of the Emergency Room at Hadassah Mount Scopus, and Chief Nurse for Emergency Thila Oren, led the exercise alongside various healthcare professionals.

Exercise controllers noted that Hadassah's established protocols for handling such an unusual event would be adopted as standard procedures for all hospitals in Israel. Professor Yoram Weiss, Director-General of Hadassah Medical Center, praised the "impressive preparedness," highlighting the teams' experience from treating COVID-19 patients, terror victims, and war casualties. He stated that the focused preparation proved effective and would be integrated into official Israeli procedures, emphasizing the hospital's readiness for any scenario requiring life-saving intervention.