Health minister asks for defense teams to protect hospitals

Health Minister Uriel Busso sends a letter today to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir requesting that armed defense teams be swiftly stationed at all hospitals in Israel “to protect them from possible security threats from inside and outside the country.”

Busso expresses concern about threats against a medical facility in the form of missile fire and terror attacks that could injure doctors, patients, and visitors to the point of disrupting the facility’s ability to function.

“The mass call-up of military reservists has left health institutions with half the number of its usual armed security guards, leaving them vulnerable at this time when security should be stepped up,” Busso writes.

While recognizing the strains that the police are under, Busso nonetheless requested that Ben-Gvir allocate a budget for these defense teams and cut through the red tape that would hold up arming them, as well as arming currently unarmed guards at community clinics.