On Sunday, the decision to close various stations and ambulance services currently operated by Magen David Adom in Judea and Samaria will come into effect. One station in particular, which services Highway 90 in the Jordan Valley between Beit Shean and the Dead Sea is among those that will be no longer operational. This station provides service to the dangerous Highway as well as to the thousands of Jewish residents in the Jordan Valley region.

The decision by Magen David Adom to close this station, together with a large number of others across Judea and Samaria, comes after the organization sent numerous inquiries, requests and warnings to the Health Ministry, and to Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman in particular, alerting them to the closures due to budgetary cuts. This year, the Health Ministry has decided not to transfer to Magen David Adom more than 5.5 Million NIS that the organization says is required to keep these stations operational.

David Elchiani, the Head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council said: “Instead of paying with shekels we will pay with lives. This decision is difficult to understand. Millions of citizens travel along this highway every year from north to south and vice versa. We, unfortunately, experience dozens of car accidents each month. Without proper emergency medical services, these accidents would end with more loss of life than they already do.”

Elchiani continued. “I am now drawing up an emergency plan which includes approaching the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service in the hopes that I will find a sympathetic ear in order to help prevent the loss of life of Israelis who use Highway 90. The Heath Ministry and Magen David Adom have abandoned us.”

An internally circulated document that was signed by Deputy Director of Operations for Magen David Adom Gil Moshkovitz, was sent to the Health Ministry, and exposed by YNET back in January, told of the planned closures of various stations and services throughout Judea and  Samaria. The document states that due to the lack of funds being transferred to Magen David Adom, the organization will be forced to close certain stations and severely scale back the operational hours of others in Judea and Samaria.

The stations that will be closed include those in the towns of Dolev, Elkana, Shavei Shomron, Tekoa, and the station for the Megillot Regional Council by the Dead sea near Highway 90.

Stations that will have services scaled back severely include Beit Aryeh, Beitar Illit, Givat Ze’ev, Shaked, and Ma’aleh Adumim.

According to the document, the military forces in the area will provide service in lieu of Magen David Adom. However, according to a recent article in YNET, no one in the military has been informed of the change in MDA services, and thus, no plans have been made to fill in the void.

Following the publication of the letter, the Health Ministry responded by saying that as opposed to previous years when MDA threatened similar closures, this year the sum was not allocated in the budget in spite of the requests by the Health Ministry that it be done.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)