In the past year, a special unit of MDA has been set up to trace and locate more than 100 relatives with whom a connection had been lost during the Holocaust
Alongside the life-saving routine, and now in the wake of the national battle with the Corona virus, MDA also operates a tracing unit for locating relatives, responsible for a large number of exciting family reunions of Holocaust survivors and their families, with their relatives in Israel and around the world.
The unit, which is part of MDA’s humanitarian activities, has been active since the late 1940s. Since becoming a full member of the International Red Cross, the unit has expanded its volunteer recruitment, training and activities.
Over the past year many new inquiries were received from citizens from all over the country, and a total of 100 cases or important information about their fate were found in the past year. Thousands of requests for help locating relatives and receiving information were received over the years in the tracing unit. In many cases, relatives or documents were found to indicate the fate of the family members, and in a few cases siblings were reunited, some of whom did not even know about each other.
As part of the unit’s activities, it cooperates closely with the ICRC and other entities operating in the field. In addition, the unit works regularly with the Ministry of the Interior and the Yad Vashem Archives, and promotes collaborations with various international agencies involved in locating relatives.
MDA’s special service is open to anyone who wishes to locate a missing person, and can be contacted by phone at Magen David Adom’s office and filling out the relevant forms for locating relatives .
“Requests for the unit’s assistance come mostly from families of Holocaust survivors, who are looking to find their roots abroad,” said Susan Edel, a volunteer with the tracingunit. “From the moment we receive the request, we work in a variety of ways, with all agencies and databases to locate relatives around the world. In some cases, we find documents proving where these families were at war and what they went through. This is very important information for families to close the circle. The satisfaction from this volunteering is tremendous. The feeling that we are able to help someone after so many years is wonderful.”
MDA Director General Eli Bin: “At Magen David Adom, we remember the Holocaust every day throughout the year. We set ourselves the goal of trying to make it easier for Holocaust survivors and future generations, and to help them find information about family members who had lost contact with them during the Holocaust. MDA has been able to unite and bring together family members in dozens of cases over the years, and receive information on thousands more cases that have come to us. The tracing unit has greatly contributed to the closure of the circle, facilitating many families whose hopes of getting information have already been lost. The strenuous work of the unit’s personnel in MDA deserves much appreciation, and I have no doubt that thanks to their hard work we will have another exciting union. “
Archives for April 2020
MDA recognised in the city of Jerusalem
Beautiful recognition from the city of Jerusalem, where the walls of the old city were lit up with the words “Jerusalem salutes Magen David Adom”.
Israel Ranked Number One
It is incredible to see #Israel ranked as Number one for safest countries around the world amid Covid19.
We take great pride in our staff and volunteers who have been working hard from the beginning to keep Israelis as safe as possible and we thank every single health professional who are working to combat this virus
The city of Tel Aviv Salutes Magen David Adom
The Tel Aviv-Yaffo City Hall illuminated this with a Magen David Adom symbol as a token of gratitude and sympathy with the teams and volunteers of the Magen David Adom who work day and night to save human lives and combat the Coronavirus.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic in Israel, MDA has been at the forefront of the fight against the virus, and at the same time keeps the organisation’s emergency routine. The organisation promotes unique actions that will result in upgrading the response during this sensitive period.
Support the efforts of MDA to save lives: www.magendavidadom.com.au/donate
Credit: Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality
MDA to fit out ambulances with airtight separation for Coronavirus Patients
Magen David Adom announced a first-of-its-kind solution that will address medical teams and the ambulance driver, with the goal of preventing them from being exposed to Corona patients. The first 50 ambulances from all over the country have been outfitted and another 70 will be outfitted in the coming days. The complete separation of MDA ambulances between the driver’s cabin and the patient’s cabin was carried out in collaboration with IDF unit 81.
The Sealed Separation Ambulance is designed to evacuate mild Corona patients who need to be evacuated to continue treatment in a designated location. Thus, the driver remains isolated from the verified patients and not exposed to the Corona virus. It should be noted that the separation exists only in designated ambulances for Corona patients who are in mild condition and who do not need medical treatment during the evacuation.
The separation was carried out by installing metal walls that are bolted from the ceiling to the floor, creating a complete seal and complete isolation between the driver’s compartment and the passenger compartment. A separate, opaque window is added to the separation wall, allowing the driver to see the passenger compartment and make eye contact with the paramedic in it, if necessary. The ambulance driver and medical team located in the back of the separated ambulance will be able to communicate using a microphone.
According to MDA, if the pilot program expands – the separation walls can be installed in ten ambulances daily, thus protecting drivers and crews from exposure to Corona patients. The airflow in the rear of the ambulance will be exterior and different from that of the driver, in the front of the vehicle.
Magen David Adom and the Ministry of Health operate additional mobile “Drive Thru” complexes in order to reach communities throughout the country
As part of the actions being taken to continue to increase the number of tests throughout the country, and in addition to the four already established “Drive Thru” complexes, Magen David Adom and the Ministry of Health, operate additional mobile “Drive Thru“ complexes which reach cities and neighbourhoods throughout the country in Wadi Ara and Bnei Brak, Modi’in, Tamra, Rahat and Ashdod. Each of the mobile “Drive Thru” complexes can simultaneously run two test lanes for those in private vehicles, sampling dozens of people an hour. Everywhere around the country the mobile complexes are staffed with teams of Magen David Adom, members of the Israeli police and security guards to maintain public order, similar to the permanent complexes already operating in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Be’er Sheva.
MDA would like to emphasize that the test at the mobile “ Drive Thru “ complexes may only be completed after contacting Magen David Adom’s 101 Call Centre and receiving approval. Anyone approved by a doctor to be sampled will receive an SMS message with the details and will be asked to arrive at the location of the mobile complex during operating hours.
As part of the sampling process, people must use their own private vehicle, data identification and verification will be carried out, followed by sampling by MDA paramedic in full protective gear. Throughout the process, the passenger will remain in his vehicle, and then drive back directly to his home.
As of Wednesday, April 1,2020, 23:00 since the corona virus has spread worldwide, Magen David Adom’s paramedics have taken samples from 81,000s people nationwide. MDA Director General Eli Bin: “As part of the ongoing fight against the spread of the corona virus in Israel, we decided together with the Minister of Health, the Director General of the Ministry of Health and the other ministries and MDA, to operate two mobile “Drive Thru” complexes, in addition to the four other complexes. The goal is to reach every patient in quarantine who develops symptoms as quickly as possible, and perform necessary tests to detect Corona patients, nationwide. We will continue to reach patients who will not be able to arrive in a private vehicle and sample them at home, safely and professionally. Magen David Adom will continue to do all it can to help fight the Corona virus, for public health and saving lives in Israel”.
MDA NOW COLLECTING PLASMA FROM RECOVERED CORONAVIRUS DONORS
As part of the project, MDA will collect plasma units from those recovered from Corona in order to treat the severely ill. This is based on the assumption that those who have recovered from the disease have developed special anti-virus proteins (antibodies) in their plasma. These units provide patients with a “passive vaccine” that may help them cope with the disease.
Plasma with antibodies has previously been used, for example, in the treatment of patients with SARS during the outbreak in 2002 and in Israel similar treatment has been previously given to patients with West Nile fever. This week (24.3), the FDA approved a similar protocol in the US.
MDA Deputy Director General- Blood Services, Prof. Eilat Shinar: “those who have recovered from Corona virus (CoVID 19) will be invited to donate plasma by a special method (Pheresis method) where only donor plasma is collected, and all other blood components are returned to him. This method has been in use at MDA’s Blood Services over 30 years and thousands of volunteers donate blood this way every day. In the first phase, the plasma units will be used to treat by transfusion, but the goal is to collect enough plasma to prepare antibody (immunoglobulin) concentrate with which patients will be treated later. Of course, anyone who is invited to donate a plasma must meet the Health Ministry’s criteria and requirements for donating blood.
Plasma collection can only be done after 14 days have passed after their full recovery and these days the Ministry of Health in contact with those who have recovered to transfer their details to Magen David Adom.
The project is expected to begin in the coming days and will be carried out in the Pheresis Unit at MDA’s Blood Services Centre, at the Tel Hashomer complex.
MDA Director General, Eli Bin: “MDA is at the forefront of the Corona virus in Israel and its teams are working days and night answering tens of thousands of calls. These efforts are now joined by activities already implemented in the world and are successful, and we all hope that together we will overcome this challenge”.
School classrooms and an entire building of “Issta” have been Converted into MDA Emergency Call Centres and Workstations
As part of MDA’s efforts to deal with the corona virus and being at the forefront of the fight, dozens of workstations have been opened at new dispatch centres around the country, which are manned by no less than 500 EMTs and paramedics, including dozens of MDA reserve units in the Home Front Command.
MDA receives tens of thousands of calls a day, with the peak reaching more than 100,000 calls in one day, which has required the organization to open additional dispatch centres that control the entire country to meet the call load, while maintaining response to MDA’s emergency routine. In all the newly opened dispatch centres, the most advanced command and control systems and technologies in the world are being used by MDA.
One of the dispatch centres opened is in the “Issta” building in Tel Aviv, which was converted into the coronavirus hotline. The company’s call centre activity was almost completely discontinued due to the situation, and therefore, Issta provided about 80 computerized workstations for MDA, along with all the technical and logistical services the company provided for the matter. Another call centre was opened in the Shimon Peres school in Kiryat Ono, which was also converted to an MDA call centre, with all classrooms becoming call centre rooms and in each room up to 10 volunteers staying within 2 meters of each other, as the Health Ministry requires.
MDA Director General Eli Bin: “Due to the sharp increase in calls, MDA is preparing quickly to open more centres at various locations around the country to provide the best response to the public, while maintaining professionalism and dedication. We thank all the bodies that have provided the means to meet the demand and to best serve the citizens of Israel. “
MDA IS WORKING ON VACCINE FOR CORONAVIRUS
As part of the project, MDA will collect plasma units from those recovered from Corona in order to treat the severely ill. This is based on the assumption that those who have recovered from the disease have developed special anti-virus proteins (antibodies) in their plasma. These units provide patients with a “passive vaccine” that may help them cope with the disease.
Plasma with antibodies has previously been used, for example, in the treatment of patients with SARS during the outbreak in 2002 and in Israel similar treatment has been previously given to patients with West Nile fever. This week, the FDA approved a similar protocol in the US.
MDA Deputy Director General- Blood Services, Prof. Eilat Shinar: “those who have recovered from Coronavirus will be invited to donate plasma by a special method (Pheresis method) where only donor plasma is collected, and all other blood components are returned to him. This method has been in use at MDA’s Blood Services over 30 years and thousands of volunteers donate blood this way every day. In the first phase, the plasma units will be used to treat by transfusion, but the goal is to collect enough plasma to prepare antibody (immunoglobulin) concentrate with which patients will be treated later. Of course, anyone who is invited to donate a plasma must meet the Health Ministry’s criteria and requirements for donating blood.
Plasma collection can only be done after 14 days have passed after their full recovery and these days the Ministry of Health in contact with those who have recovered to transfer their details to Magen David Adom.
The project is expected to begin in the coming days and will be carried out in the Pheresis Unit at MDA’s Blood Services Centre, at the Tel Hashomer complex.