Tal Porat

Almost exactly a year ago, a one-ton utility pole fell on Tali Kuhn as she was walking her dog. In addition to head trauma, Tali’s legs were severely injured. As she lost consciousness, she remembers thinking she might be dying.

But MDA Paramedic Naomi Zvi and EMT Elia Biton worked tirelessly to stanch the bleeding and provide lifesaving medications and treatment. They evacuated Tali to Sheba Hospital, where she underwent several complex surgeries and is still undergoing rehabilitation today.

Recently, Tali was reunited with the medics who saved her life.

“I remember being rescued and Naomi fought for me from the first moment,” recalled Tali. “She calmed me down during the trip and took command of everyone in the field. 

“And, I remember the words Naomi said to me when I woke up in the ambulance: ‘You’ll be okay. You’re a lioness.’ Those words inspired me and keep me going to this day.”

Paramedic Naomi Zvi remembers that day like it was yesterday. “After receiving that call, all the images kept going through my head [about what the scene and the patient would look like] and we prayed we would be able to save her life.

“Meeting Tali today, a year later, watching her stand on her own two feet, is incredibly moving.”

Magen David Adom: A vision of dedication, determination to save lives

(An excerpt from The Jerusalem Post) — In the decades that Eli Bin, director-general of Magen David Adom, has been leading the organization, the pandemic has been one of MDA’s most significant challenges. The national fight against the spread of the Covid-19 virus “caught” MDA ready and prepared for any challenge created by the new and complex reality.

Eli Bin: MDA’s many years of preparation, the response to a variety of emergency incidents, and the organization’s ability to adapt quickly to dynamic situations, to learn from experience, while continuing to develop methods and means to increase efficiency, all of these together enable us to meet the most complex challenges at the national level.

JPost: What are the routine challenges that have become more acute during the Covid-19 pandemic?

EB: Naturally, MDA’s routine is an emergency routine; therefore, we are required to continuously maintain the high level of qualifications and skills of the staff members and the various means to respond to emergencies, security escalations, and other challenges. Our routine activities present us with many challenges, which vary over the years…

As MDA trains all the paramedics in Israel, promoting the paramedic profession is a big challenge, and in recent years, we have increased the number of paramedics thus changing the face of emergency medicine in Israel….

JPost:  What is MDA’s main challenge today?

EB: One of our main challenges in the field of emergency medical services is providing personalized medical treatment to each and every patient, using advanced technology. This is actually the future of medicine. In the past, every call to MDA would result in the evacuation of the patient to the hospital. Due to the overload at the hospitals’ emergency departments and MDA’s ability to use advanced technology, we have created the MDA in the Community Project, which aims to make the services of the emergency medicine department and medical specialists available to all …

MDA emergency teams will be equipped to provide remote medical  assistance and the means to perform blood tests at the patient’s home. Upon arrival to the scene, the EMTs will be able to consult with a specialist in the field, and according to the findings, the specialist can determine the course of treatment, which sometimes includes keeping the patient at home, instead of hospitalization. 

JPost: MDA is known for its capital human resource — the volunteers. Tell us about them.

EB: MDA was established by a group of volunteers 92 years ago. Volunteers play an essential role, not only in the organization, but also in shaping the face of Israeli society as a whole. One of the main emphases in volunteering at MDA is professional equality: there is no difference between a volunteer and a paid employee.

I believe the sense of responsibility, along with their ability to perform under stress with such dedication, enables the volunteers to acquire values they will carry with them for the rest of their lives …  Today, MDA is the largest volunteer organization in Israel, with tens of thousands of volunteers, from the age of 15 to the age of 82.

Read the full interview on The Jerusalem Post>>

The Jerusalem Post — The dispatch systems of Israel’s three rescue services are now interconnected so any of the three agencies — the Israel Police, the Fire and Rescue Service, and Magen David Adom — can now automatically dispatch one another in emergencies without having to manually contact them, as was previously necessary.

The interconnect, which was developed by the in-house programming unit at MDA, Israel’s emergency medical service, will speed the flow of information between all three rescue services and potentially save time and lives in emergencies requiring responses from multiple agencies…

A call to MDA regarding someone injured in a shooting, for example, would automatically summon both an ambulance and police. Likewise, reporting an apartment fire to the Israel Fire and Rescue Service would summon personnel from all three services — firefighters to address the blaze itself, police to control street traffic, and ambulances to treat the injured.

Read the full story on The Jerusalem Post>>

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL — “Help! Help! Something terrible has happened!”

The alarming call, coming amid shouts of pain, bombarded a member of the Northbrook Community Synagogue as she entered the temple’s sanctuary outside of Chicago to find over a dozen worshipers lying helpless on the bimah platform and in between the chairs below.

As she weaved through the chaotic scene, the synagogue member tracked who needed triage and who could be moved to a safe location, while ordering one unhurt worshiper to call 911 and another to help apply pressure to a wound.

The screams weren’t real, though. Nor was the blood on the oversized t-shirts that Magen David Adom paramedic Raphael Herbst had participants wear for the simulation. The exercise was part of MDA’s “First 7 Minutes” training session, one of several Herbst facilitated last week for faith communities in the Chicago area. 

Read the full story on The Times of Israel>>

Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle — After seven years of work, Jeff and Arlene Berg may finally get a chance to rest. The Wilkins Township Evangelicals raised nearly $100,000 toward buying an ambulance for Israel.

Having secured commitments from approximately 40 donors, and with the medical vehicle ready for shipment east.

The September 12 gathering, the Bergs noted, was preceded by a similar ceremony a day earlier at their church, Crossroads Ministries in Finleyville, Pennsylvania.

Read the whole story in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle>>

Last Wednesday, a new MDA bullet-proof Mobile Intensive Care Unit, donated by Prof. Marat Ressin, was inaugurated in Ariel in a special ceremony, in the presence of the donor and his family, MDA VP of Operations Gil Moshkowitz, representatives of Israeli Friends of  MDA, the Mayor of Ariel Mr. Eli Shaviro, Magen David Adom management, management of the MDA Yarkon district, employees and volunteers from Ariel and the surrounding area.  This bullet-proof vehicle was donated by Prof. Ressin via/in collaboration with the Israeli  Friends of MDA Association, and will be stationed in Ariel to serve the residents of Ariel and the neighboring settlements. 

The new MICU vehicle, model Mercedes Sprinter from Colmobil group, is the first of its kind in Israel. The bullet-proof ambulance was designed in accordance with the highest international standards, under the strict requirements of Magen David Adom. It was manufactured by the Israeli company Plasan Ram and assembled in Poland by the Zhota Company. The bullet-proof MICU provides maximum protection to staff and patients, enabling a safe arrival of the MDA emergency response teams to the scene of the incident  and treatment under fire using the most advanced intensive care equipment. This  emergency vehicle has an engine power of 3,000 cc, length 5.92 m, height 2.95 m, and width  2.02 m and weighs 5 tons. In addition, an automatic air and bacteria purification system was  installed in the vehicle, helping to maintain a safe and healthy transport of the staff and  patients to the nearby hospital. 

(credit: Eliran Avital)

The Magen David Adom station in Ariel is the central medical emergency station in the  Samaria region, operating a MICU and an ambulance 24 hours a day. The emergency MDA  teams, comprised of 30 medics and paramedics, 100 volunteers of which 65 are teenagers,  provide emergency medical care to the residents of the area in cases of routine incidents,  traffic accidents and even security incidents, working in full cooperation with the Israeli  army. 

Prof. Marat Ressin, donor of the bullet-proof Mobile Intensive Care Unit: “It is a great  honor to present to the residents of Ariel and the region today the bullet-proof and  innovative intensive care unit, which will help MDA teams save lives faster, and in a safer  environment. When I donated the money, I decided that I wanted something different,  something innovative that will change the rules of the game in terms of treating the  wounded. I sincerely hope that the innovative intensive care vehicle is just the beginning of  many more projects of this type and that together we’ll be able to save many lives”. 

Orly Ariel, CEO of the Israeli Friends of MDA: “We are extremely grateful to Prof. Marat and  hist family for donating the bullet-proof ambulance. This MICU vehicle is unique in its  capabilities enabling variety of treatment options for the medical emergency teams in the  field. Dear Ressin family, welcome to the Magen David Adom family! On behalf of the  people of Israel we thank you for your generosity and hope for many future collaborations in  our efforts to continue saving lives”. 

Gil Moshkovitz, Vice President of Operations at MDA: “Here is an amazing solution born  and built from scratch. Marat wanted to have a vehicle adapted specifically to the needs of Ariel and its surroundings, which would serve both the EMT’s and the patients.  Unfortunately, over the years we have witnessed a number of difficult incidents in Ariel and  the nearby settlements. This bullet-proof Mobile Intensive Care Unit will save not only the  patients’ lives, but also enable the medics and paramedics, who are often exposed to life threatening conditions and under fire, to work in a protected environment”

(credit: Eliran Avital)

Eli Shaviro, Mayor of Ariel: “On behalf of the residents of Ariel, I would like to express my  endless gratitude to Prof. Marat Ressin, for donating this ambulance to the city. Prof. Ressin is a dear friend of the city of Ariel, and has been supporting the city in various fields over the  past five years. The city of Ariel is a district city which provides service to all the settlements  around it, therefore this donation of a bullet-proof ambulance is of great significance and  importance helping save people’s lives. Thank you and God bless you! 

MDA CEO Eli Bin: “We convey our blessings and deepest gratitude to the Ressin family for  their incredible contribution – which will help save lives throughout the Samaria region. Unfortunately, MDA teams are well experienced in handling scenes of terrorist attacks and  severe incidents, many times being under fire and at risk of life. Prof. Ressin’s significant  contribution will help and strengthen MDA’s ability to treat and assist the sick and wounded  in complex arenas. This is a state-of-the-art vehicle with the most advanced medical  capabilities in the world”.

Magen David Adom, Israel’s world-renown emergency medical and mass-casualty response organization, has long made sharing its knowledge and experience with the world a priority.

One of the ways that goal is achieved is to provide trainings around the world for medical professionals and lay people.

The First 7 Minutes is a seminar offered by MDA’s most experienced paramedics and instructors to provide civilians with the tools they need to stay safe and save lives in the chaotic period between an armed attack and the seven minutes it typically takes for EMTs and other first responders to arrive to the scene.

“You’ll never know when violence will strike, but you’ll know what to do when it does,” said Rafael Herbst,” an MDA senior paramedic and instructor, and the director of the First 7 Minutes program.

“Because of the sheer number of terrorist incidents in Israel, MDA has emerged as the most experienced mass-casualty response organization in the world,” said Herbst.

Following recent armed attacks here against religious, academic, and other institutions, the need to better train people to protect themselves and render aid to others has become urgent.

In the aftermath of the July 4th shooting in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago, and with the coming of the Jewish High Holidays, MDA was asked to conduct emergency-response training for religious institutions across Chicago. The interfaith trainings, led by Herbst, will be held over three days from Monday, September 12 – Wednesday, September 14. One session, hosted by the Israel and Mexican Consulates, will even be conducted in Spanish for the Latino community.

In the four-hour training, participants will learn lifesaving techniques, such as stopping the bleeding, and how to classify urgent and non-urgent injuries. Following a 60-90-minute lecture, they will be put through a series of drills to reinforce the knowledge that has been imparted.

Much of the training, including the first-aid instruction and emphasis on safety and needs prioritization, is also applicable to other emergency situations, such as building collapses, fires, and natural disasters, providing course participants with skills and confidence critical for a variety of situations.

Every summer, Magen David Adom holds intensive training courses for Israel’s youth. This summer was no different.

Nearly 2,000 youth participated in various courses. Camp counselors learned first aid and school peer counselors learned how to train younger classes in first aid and motivate their involvement in MDA.

Many teens participated in a leadership training course for disaster preparation and management. They learned how to provide advanced treatment when standard medical equipment may not be available. Others became certified in advanced resuscitation and multi-casualty treatment.

The teens were trained using advanced simulation tools, including multi-media games and virtual reality. They practiced various treatment scenarios on one another.

At the beginning of the summer, more than 3,000 ninth graders completed a year of study to become an MDA Youth Volunteer. Some 14,000 youth volunteers work as first responders on ambulance teams throughout the country.

“It’s inspiring to see, year after year, teenagers investing their summer vacation, spending days and weeks learning to save lives,” said Eli Bin, MDA director-general. “Israel’s youth volunteers are a core part of MDA and a significant asset to implementing MDA’s lifesaving mission.”

Only three weeks ago, a 55-year-old athlete collapsed on the field during a soccer match at the 21st Maccabiah Games. The Australian athlete was playing Columbia in the Masters’ Tournament for athletes 55 and over.

The MDA team providing medical coverage for the Maccabiah Games responded immediately. Following CPR and electric shocks with a defibrillator, he was resuscitated and evacuated to Laniado Hospital in Netanya, fully conscious and communicative.

This week, the recovered athlete (at his request his name is withheld) got to meet the EMTs and paramedics who saved his life. Watch the video:

He feels especially connected to EMT Shoval Katzin. “I don’t remember anything, but I was told by everybody that you were incredible, that you were on top of me, and punching me, and pushing me, and using this amazing machine [the defibrillator].

“You brought me back to life and gave me a second chance. So you and I will be bonded together forever. Forever. I will always stay in touch with you.”

The athlete was also very grateful to Orianne Lucatz, the paramedic who stayed by his side in the Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulance on the way to hospital. She promised they would see him again.

For many years, the Maccabiah Games have opted to secure on-the-field medical coverage of the sporting events, even though it is not legally required. This decision may have ultimately saved his life.

To show their appreciation to Magen David Adom, Maccabiah Deputy Executive Director and CEO Roy Hessing presented Shoval Katzin and the MDA team with an award of thanks and appreciation.

One Israeli refused to adhere to the red alert sirens as hundreds of rockets were being launched into his hometown of Ashkelon. Baby Boy Greenberg was ready to come into this world, and nothing was going to stop him.

On Sunday, August 7, Maayan Greenberg, 32, went into labor. Surrounded by explosions and sirens, she dialed MDA’s 101 hotline and EMT Yarin Hayat answered the call. While an ambulance was dispatched, it was clear the birth was imminent.

With Maayan’s friend, Esther, at her side, Yarin guided Maayan’s son into the world. The ambulance arrived shortly after and evacuated mother and baby to Barzilai University Medical Center.

Last night, Yarin met Maayan and her baby boy. “I was very excited to meet Maayan and the baby in the hospital,” Yarin said. “Amid the tension and worry that accompanied the last few days, receiving a call about a birth was an exciting event of comfort and joy.”

Over the course of the three-day military offensive with Islamic Jihad in Gaza, MDA teams were on high alert. They treated and evacuated 47 patients who were injured by shrapnel, hurt while running to secure shelter, or suffering from severe stress.

“MDA teams worked day and night to help residents in the area and throughout the country during these tense days,” said Yarin. “Moments of this kind give us the fuel to continue doing everything to save lives.”

Arutz Sheva/Israel National News — Paramedics with Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service, will soon not only be listening to the hearts of cardiac patients, but literally seeing them too.

Beginning this summer, MDA will be unveiling ultrasound technology aboard its advanced life support Medevac helicopters and its Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulances (MICUs).

Initially, the ultrasound will be used primarily to view the hearts of patients in suspected cardiac arrest or deep shock, and to help paramedics establish IV lines in patients with hard-to-detect veins, an important consideration when getting potentially lifesaving medications into patients quickly.

“This is yet another step by Magen David Adom to bring technologies previously only available in [hospital] emergency departments or clinical settings into our MICUs,” said Dr. Refael Strugo, medical director for MDA.