Four ways Magen David Adom saves lives. And one way you can help.
You may know that Magen David Adom is Israel’s emergency medical response agency. But you may not know that “emergency medical response” encompasses a lot more than responding to calls. Read on for four ways MDA saves lives in Israel.
And consider joining our lifesaving team by supporting the AFMDA Heartbeat campaign to fund a $100,000 ambulance. With a generous dollar-for-dollar match for the first $25,000 raised, this campaign gives you the chance to have double the impact and save more lives. But first, here’s what saving lives with MDA is all about:
- They get there fast.
Magen David Adom has emergency medical stations equipped with sophisticated dispatching systems all over Israel so that no matter where an emergency strikes, there’s an ambulance nearby. During last summer’s Operation Protective Edge, paramedics arrived to a rocket attack that nearly killed a young man in about 90 seconds and they were able to save his life.
- They think big.
While MDA’s primary role is saving lives in Israel, they bring their lifesaving expertise around the world. In the latest example, MDA paramedics joined the Israeli delegation to Nepal after the recent earthquake there. After assisting with triage and providing first aid to victims, MDA paramedics established the groundwork for the Israel Defense Forces field hospital that was able to treat at least 200 individuals a day.
- They welcome and value volunteers.
Of the 14,000 EMTs and paramedics who save lives with MDA, 12,000 are volunteers, showcasing the generosity of the Israeli spirit. In addition, volunteers from more than two dozen countries come to Israel for six-week to five-month periods every year to be trained as MDA first responders. They learn to handle everything from CPR to burns to bandaging.
- They protect Israel’s most precious asset.
Not water. Not oil. Not the Dead Sea Scrolls. Blood. Magen David Adom supplies 100 percent the Israel Defense Forces’ blood requirements and 95 percent of the blood needs for the general population. The MDA National Blood Services Center, built with AFMDA funds and located at Tel Hashomer in Ramat Gan, processes more than 250,000 blood units annually. Most of the blood is collected from volunteers in MDA bloodmobiles, while about 25 percent is collected in donor rooms at MDA first-aid stations located in towns and cities all over Israel.
So now that you know what MDA does, what can you do?
Please join our campaign to fund a new ambulance fully-stocked with cutting edge lifesaving equipment. MDA is not a government agency, so it relies on us, supporters from all over the world, to help it save lives. One MDA ambulance costs $100,000. An anonymous donor has pledged to match our donations 2-1 until our campaign reaches $50,000. That means for every 5 dollars you commit to, in reality you have raised 10! Please donate now at www.jewcer.com/heartbeat.