The Israeli Health Ministry on Monday, 9 Tammuz, published a document instructing that all first responders in Israel are to be operated by MDA’s National Standby First Responders Dispatch Center.

“United Hatzalah will halt its publication of another emergency number in order for all medical emergency calls to be concentrated within the National Standby First Responders Dispatch Center in purpose of streamlining the process,” the Health Ministry has determined today. The public will continue to seek medical treatment through the 101 emergency number and MDA will continue to activate first responders closest to the scene regardless of their organizational association via the apps GPS capabilities.

This compels United Hatzalah to stop advertising its ‘1221’ emergency number. In addition, when the United Hatzalah dispatcher receives a call, in addition to alerting responders, it must pass the details of the call to the MDA national dispatch center.

The Ministry has also instructed that medical first responders who don’t currently operate under the auspices of MDA will have MDA’s mobile app installed on their smartphone. MDA will also develop an integrated app that will be connected to MDA’s National Standby First Responders Dispatch Center.

MDA issued the following statement in response to the new directive. “MDA would like to thank Health Minister Rabbi Litzman, the CEO of the Ministry and the professional team for ordering the operation of all first responders in Israel under the MDA dispatch center. MDA cooperates with all first responders and welcomes anyone seeking to save lives, including the volunteers of United Hatzalah.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)