Magen David Adom

Magen David Adom is proud to participate in Israel’s National Drone Initiative, testing the ability to deliver blood, platelets, and plasma to two Tel Aviv hospitals via drone. The goal is to verify the method of packaging, product quality during flight, and procedures to ensure they meet Ministry of Health regulations. If the project proves successful, blood products could be delivered by drone to hospitals across the country when needed.

Drones delivered sushi, beer and ice cream orders to waiting members of the media right off the Tel Aviv coast on Monday as part of a government-led initiative to create a national drone network and pilot drone flights for deliveries across Israel.

The National Drone Initiative entered the third of eight planned phases in the pilot program last week, launching a 10-day demonstration to test drone flights above urban areas. In this new stage, the drones will have carried out around 300 flights a day above open areas for different tasks such as testing the autonomous systems, analysis of in-air behavior, delivering food at a drop-off point, and even delivering donated blood from the Magen David Adom blood bank in the Tel Aviv area to the Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer Hospital right outside the city.

Read the full story on The Times of Israel:

A blood drive for people and dogs was held last week in Kiryat Anavim, a town west of Jerusalem. The event was held due to a shortage of blood products in veterinary hospitals, and to raise awareness about the need for lifesaving blood donations for both people and pets.

A Magen David Adom bloodmobile came to Vet Holim, one of a chain of veterinary clinics serving the Jerusalem region and Ein Gedi, where dog owners and other people donated 31 units of blood. Meanwhile, blood was taken from their dogs by the veterinary clinic. “This unique event showcased the importance of blood donations to save lives for humans and also for his best friend — the dog,” said Yaakov Mohadav, head of MDA’s blood donation services in Jerusalem.

“We thank NOAM Kol Ami Preparatory School for this exciting initiative that enabled Magen David Adom to take part.” The turnout of dog donors was greater than the capacity to take donations. The process for blood retrieval takes about one hour, so there was only enough time for four dogs to donate. The remaining pet owners were able to register their dogs and cats for future blood donations. “The cooperation between the two bodies, MDA and Vet Holim, is important for raising awareness about the need for blood donations for saving both humans and animals,” said Ophir Niv, director of Vet Holim.

“On both sides there is hope that this is the beginning of a special partnership.”

On November 30, 2021, an emergency drill was held at Ben-Gurion Airport, simulating the crash of a passenger plane on the runway with 250 people onboard. The drill was a joint effort between the Israeli Airports Authority, Magen David Adom, Israel Police, Israel Fire and Rescue, and other emergency organisations. “Today, we triaged 250 simulated casualties who were given medical treatment and evacuated [to hospitals], all while managing a complex scene,” said Ziv Klainbart, MDA Ayalon Region deputy director and drill commander. “It is a complicated drill that prepares us to be able to provide proper medical care and to be ready for a real event.”

The goal of the drill was to evaluate the emergency protocols, response and the collaboration between all participating organisations, including the Israel Defense Forces and the Home Front Command. The focus for MDA was on ensuring a rapid arrival to the scene, coordinated response at the crash site, and efficient management of the immediate medical care and evacuation to hospitals.

The drill simulated the emergency alert message from the control tower received at MDA’s National Command and Control Center. MDA teams provided medical treatment to 250 simulated passengers. They took critical patients to the MDA Medevac helicopter that landed at the airport and airlifted them to the hospital and simulated the triage and evacuation of tens of other victims.

MDA deployed eight Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulances, 20 life support ambulances, five Multi-Casualty Rescue Vehicles, two paramedic supervisor command cars, Medicycles, two regional command and control vehicles, the national command and control truck, and hundreds of paramedics and EMTs.

“This is a complex and important exercise held once every two years,” explains Eli Bin, MDA director-general. “It gives us the opportunity to practice the capabilities of Magen David Adom, and to reinforce the critical collaboration between all emergency response organisations and the Airports Authority.

“There’s no doubt that this exercise is maintaining the professional skills of our team members. It is my hope that we will never be called to a live scenario and need to put our knowledge to use.
“If, God forbid, we will need to do so, MDA is capable of responding within minutes, while continuing to provide the response to routine medical emergencies and maintain the preparedness for additional emergency incidents.” Two weeks ago, MDA also participated in an emergency drill coordinated by the Defense Ministry. The drill simulated a terror attack in Jerusalem with a radiological device to evaluate how the country’s government and emergency services would respond to a non-conventional terror attack with a “dirty bomb,” which includes radioactive elements.

And in early November, MDA participated in a week-long drill simulating a full-scale war with Hezbollah.

Rabbi Yonatan Spitzer, a Magen David Adom ambulance driver and EMT, is bringing the Chanukah spirit across the country with his Menorah on Wheels. The giant chanukiyah is on a trailer towed by an ambulance and accompanied by MDA personnel on Medicycles and all-terrain evacuation vehicles who are sharing the holiday spirit with the public. The vehicle parade began in Be’er Sheva. “It was very exciting to drive the menorah through the streets of Be’er Sheva and see the light that gleamed not only from the chanukiyah, but from the eyes of the citizens,” said Rabbi Spitzer. “Throughout Chanukah, we will reach more cities in order to spread the light and joy of the holiday throughout the country.”

Rabbi Spitzer also manages the MDA Chabad house, coordinates the organisation’s activities, and organises and distributes mishloach manot (gifts of food and sweets) to employees on Purim, matzah on Passover, and more. On Sukkot, he created a Sukkah on Wheels that was towed by an ambulance and brought to MDA stations throughout the country. “Rabbi Spitzer’s charming initiative brings hearts closer, makes the holiday spirit accessible, and encourages smiles throughout the country — from the south to the north,” said Eli Bin, MDA director-general.

“On behalf of the Magen David Adom organisation, the employees and volunteers, I would like to wish the citizens of Israel and the world a happy, light-filled holiday.”

In 2017, Magen David Adom launched its Cyclists Unit, a crew of volunteer EMTs who use electric bicycles to help shorten response time and save lives. Recently, 20 new cyclists were added to the 10-member bicycle unit in the Lachish area in southern Israel that includes Sderot and Ashdod.

The new riders underwent a course to improve riding skills and control of bicycles that emphasized adherence to traffic laws, a total ban on red light crossings, the obligation to obey traffic signs and provide right of way to and consideration for pedestrians, and more. “They participated in professional medical and safety training that included riding under varying road conditions, stability and control of weight transfer, braking, acceleration, tackling lane crossings on urban roads, and riding in the dark,” said Israel Lugasi, paramedic and head of MDA’s motorcycle and electric bicycle unit in the Lachish.

The electric bicycles are operated 24 hours a day by volunteer EMTs in parallel with MDA motorcycles, ambulances, and intensive care vehicles. Each bicycle is equipped with a resuscitation and first-aid kit and each rider is equipped with advanced protective equipment that includes a helmet, glow vest, and protection for hands and feet.

“The new riders are power multipliers who will help shorten the medical response time and save lives,” said MDA Lachish Area Director Chaim Cardi. “We will continue to work to shorten the response times for public health.”

THE JERUSALEM POST — Magen David Adom has been responsible for all of Israel’s blood supply, including for the IDF, since 1950. MDA has ensured that the State of Israel’s medical system has the blood supply needed despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the organisation’s Director of Blood Services Prof. Eilat Shinar, M.D.

“We had a major challenge, because most of the working places were closed – schools, yeshivas, all of the places we are usually going to collect blood from 1,000 volunteers a day were closed, ” she said in an interview at The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference on Tuesday, October 12.

Watch the MDA panel segment at 5:23 in the Jerusalem Post conference video>>

“So we thought out of the box and decided to go to the neighborhoods. People could just go out of their own houses to a mobile blood unit and donate blood.”

She spoke on a panel with her colleague, Dr. Shafir Botner, director of MDA’s Paramedic Training School. He told the Post about a new program that is soon to launch that will allow U.S.-trained paramedics to receive certification in Israel and vice versa.

Read this full story on The Jerusalem Post>>