Eilat on the Way to a Revolution: 'This Project Will Change the Face of the City for Generations'

Eilat suffers from a severe shortage of medical services, forcing residents to travel to central Israel for treatment. The city is establishing a medical school that will open in September, aiming to train local doctors and improve services. Mayor Eli Lankri is promoting academic development, transportation, and infrastructure, and offering scholarships to students who commit to working in the city for 5 years.

Since its founding, Eilat has suffered from a severe shortage of medical services, forcing residents to travel to central Israel for treatment. To address the problem, the city is establishing a medical school expected to open this coming September, as part of the local academic campus. Mayor Eli Lankri said, 'We need to create a situation where as many treatments and services as possible are provided here.' The main challenge is attracting doctors who will stay in the city, so the academic development aims to train local medical staff. The academic campus has been operating for 3 years and includes branches of Levinsky-Wingate College, the College of Management, the Open University, and Kinneret College (note: source says 'Kiryat Ono College'), with Sami Shamoon College expected to join. Lankri said that 30 Jewish medical students from France have already expressed interest in studying at the faculty, and scholarships will be offered on condition that students commit to working there for at least 5 years. Meanwhile, infrastructure projects are planned, including expanding the seaport, introducing passenger and freight trains, and electric buses. The city is expected to become a global center for marine agriculture, with an industrial park for food products from the sea. Lankri compared Eilat to Jordanian Aqaba, saying, 'This is a different city... I respect Aqaba, but it's a different tourism product.' The city has faced crises like COVID-19 and the war but has managed to recover. Currently, there are threats from Iran, Yemen, and the sea, but security officials have clarified there is no new immediate threat. The city is well-protected, and 77 years after raising the ink flag, it will receive a medical school that will improve healthcare services.