Israel’s Ministry of Health has ordered a nationwide inspection and immediate removal of certain medical gas cylinders after a deadly incident at the Ashdod oil refinery raised alarms about what may have been inside the tanks. The directive applies broadly to medical institutions and emergency response bodies, with officials instructing teams to verify every cylinder’s imprint, color, labeling, and supplier identity, and to pull any cylinder that does not match requirements.
The ministry’s move followed the deaths of two women found unresponsive at the refinery, with early reports pointing to a possible malfunction in their oxygen suits and concerns raised about potentially toxic substances tied to the cylinders. Israeli media also reported that the Ministry of Labor issued a safety order against the supplier “Salam/Salem Yaakov and Sons,” barring it from selling medical air equipment until the plant’s integrity is inspected, amid suspicions the cylinders involved may not have contained medical air and could have included a toxic substance.
Bilbao, Biscay, Spain – June 06, 2024
The Health Ministry directed all relevant bodies to inspect air and oxygen cylinders to ensure that what is stamped, painted, and labeled on the container matches the contents and the supplier record—then immediately remove any cylinder that fails those checks. In addition, all canisters from Salem Yaakov and Sons were ordered taken out of service at once, and health maintenance organizations were instructed to recall canisters being used by some home-ventilated patients and provide alternatives.
United Hatzalah says it has instructed volunteers across Israel to temporarily suspend use of the oxygen canisters currently in their possession, in line with the national directive. The organization emphasized this step is not reflective of any issue with United Hatzalah’s conduct and that patient safety is paramount, as its logistics and medical divisions move to replace canisters and supply approved alternatives while staying in contact with the Health Ministry.
Critically, United Hatzalah says it is coordinating the purchasing and replacement of up to 15,000 oxygen tanks across its nationwide inventory, while continuing to respond to emergencies and already placing new tanks.
United Hatzalah’s model is built around speed: a large volunteer network, rapid dispatch, and arriving within minutes to start treatment before transport. The organization icludes more than 8,000 volunteer medics and targets an average response time of under three minutes. In that system, oxygen is not “optional equipment.” It’s frequently used for respiratory distress and cardiac emergencies.
That’s why the current moment is about two priorities that must run in parallel: strict compliance with a national safety directive, and ensuring no gap emerges in frontline lifesaving capability.
United Hatzalah has launched an “Urgent National Oxygen Resupply” campaign tied directly to the replacement effort, with the stated goal of enabling rapid inspection and replacement across its operational inventory.
If you want to help push replacement faster, donate here:
https://israelrescue.org/campaign/oxygenresupply/
Donations support the immediate replacement and deployment of approved oxygen equipment so volunteer responders can keep treating patients safely and in compliance with the Health Ministry order.
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