Following the Knesset Panel discussion regarding the working relationship between Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah, it was decided that both organizations will sit in deliberations facilitated by the Health Ministry in order to arrive at a binding and lasting agreement regarding the sharing of information of emergency calls.
In the event that the two sides are not able to reach an agreement with the arbitration of the Health Ministry, a private bill will be submitted to the Knesset that will be legally enforced by the appropriate ministries.
Committee Member MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Uri Maklev said during the discussion today “It is imperative that there be harmonious cooperation between these two organizations.”
MK (Shas) Michael Malchieli said: “The two organizations needs to sit in the same room and stay there until white smoke rises from the skylight and the issues regarding the sharing of information are settled once and for all.”
MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) said “This saga has got to end. I wanted to create a unified dispatch and command center but Magen David Adom staunchly refused. They were the only ones to do so. If I were [MDA Director] Eli Bin, I would embrace United Hatzalah. This situation, in which Magen David Adom closes themselves off and is entrenched in their attitude cannot be allowed to continue.”
President and Founder of United Hatzalah Eli Beer said during the conclusion of the meeting, “Magen David Adom wants to maintain their monopoly on saving lives and control all of our volunteers that is why they are asking for us to hand over a list of all of our volunteers. It is much to my chagrin that this is costing people their lives.”
Moshe Teitelbaum, CEO of United Hatzalah said during his closing remarks at the discussion that “The Committee Chairperson, as well as the members of the committee, all recognize the danger that arises from the lack of proper cooperation. I am hopeful that Magen David Adom will regain their sense of composure and will begin transmitting emergency information to United Hatzalah for all of the citizens of Israel’s sakes.
Attending the discussion were children of people who perished due to the lengthy wait for an ambulance to arrive and Magen David Adom refusing to give out the information to United Hatzalah volunteers who could have responded and provided treatment in the interim.
Yaakov Agabba from Or Yehuda was one such attendee. Agabba’s father passed away from a heart attack after having waited a long time for the ambulance to arrive. Agabba screamed at the committee, “You are playing around with people’s lives. There is no possible way that you can understand the pain I feel. I only wanted my father to be saved. I don’t care who saved him, just that he would be saved.
Rotem Mizrachi from Holon had a similar story and also attended the committee discussion. Her father passed away when an ambulance took a long time to arrive and United Hatzalah was never notified of the incident. “I’m a Magen David Adom orphan. Due to the games that MDA has been playing and their egoistic attitude, my father died. He lived 28 feet from an MDA ambulance station in Jerusalem, but that didn’t help him at all.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
The problem is that mda is a buisness whereas United hatzalah is actually interested in saving people’s lives. I hope that mda can’t agree and that the Israeli govt lets united hatzalah do transport as well. Mada will disappear in a second. They stink