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Ichud (United) Hatzalah is one of the emergency service agencies that were operating in Meron to provide EMS coverage for Lag B’Omer. Officials report that the new signs which divided up the areas into numbered sectors successfully facilitated response times as it was immeasurably easier to find patients who simply told the dispatcher which number sign they are near. Ichud Hatzalah printed a map which showed the location of the fifty sector numbering signs and distributed it to other emergency agencies operating in the area.

Ichud Hatzalah reports its personnel treated 811 persons. In addition its ambucycles made their way around and distributed water to thousands of visitors to the area.

The Ichud Hatzalah effort included hundreds of physicians, paramedics and EMTs along with technical, logistical and communications staff. The Lag B’Omer 5774 began on the Wednesday before as people began heading north for a long Lag B’Omer Shabbos in and around Meron.

The weekend began with a horrific accident in which a child was struck by a vehicle near the entrance of Meron. He was reported in serious condition when he was transported to a hospital. Many of the calls for assistance were for falls from heights, soft tissue injuries from minor scrapes and falls, difficulty breathing and more. Unfortunately there was a dispute in one of the bus parking areas which led to injuries, compelling EMTs to respond and treat four victims.

The organization boasts its ability to address such a large operation while maintaining the highest halachic standards in line with their rabbonim shlita. A non-Jewish physician was on call in the medical clinic on Shabbos. Hundreds of patients passed through that clinic during the course of the Lag B’Omer coverage.

Ichud Hatzalah CEO Ze’ev Kashash released a statement to the press thanking Israel Police, Magen David Adom, Zaka, and Israel Fire for the cooperation which led to quick and professional care for all in need of assistance.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Aaron Wahav & Moshe Mizrachi, Ichud Hatzalah Spokesman’s Office)