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On Sunday night MDA EMTs and paramedics sitting at MDA’s 101 dispatch center received a call reporting of a man who was stabbed in his chest. The most unusual detail about the call was the youngster’s whereabouts – a few hundreds of meters from the tziyun of Rav Nachman ZT”L in Uman, where these days, thousands of Israelis are spending their Yomim Tovim.

The call was enabled by a special phone line established by MDA for Rosh Hashanah, that allows people in Uman to call (free of charge, from any device) MDA’s national dispatch center in Israel, which operates all MDA First Responders based in Uman during the holidays.

MDA’s standby First Responders who were nearby, were called to the scene by MDA dispatchers in Israel and arrived within several minutes. They provided the patient with preliminary medical treatment on the scene and evacuated him to a local clinic where they performed lifesaving medical procedures. They later evacuated him to a hospital for further medical treatment.

The caller, who informed MDA of the emergency, shared: “When I arrived in Uman I encountered many signs presenting the special MDA phone number, and I saved it in my phone, just in case. When I identified the youngster who had been stabbed, I immediately called MDA and within minutes the team was already on the scene, just as it would happen in Israel.”

Avi Hovav, MDA Deputy Chief of the Jerusalem Region, who is responsible for MDA’s activity in Uman these days, said: “This important emergency call saved the youngster’s life. Due to the publication of the MDA phone number in Uman, the person knew who to approach in this critical moment. From the moment the call was received, MDA arrived on the scene within minutes. The First Responders understood the patient’s situation wasn’t mild, and immediately evacuated him to a hospital. The MDA volunteers stayed by the patient’s bedside and even helped translate between the patient and hospital staff until the coordination with the Foreign Ministry to fly him back to Israel.”

The Head of the MDA Delegation to Uman, paramedic Dan Drori, added: “Tens of thousands of people arrived at Rabbi Nachman’s tziyun to be mispallel. They were moved by the volunteers, and we were aware of their appreciation. On one of the days, volunteers helped evacuate a building that caught fire – also becoming a rescue force. In light of the rapid response of the teams, the incident concluded with no casualties. Throughout our activity in Uman we provided medical treatment to dozens of people who knew they had who to trust. Any time we met people we received many thanks and appreciation.”

Additionally, Drori said that MDA teams provided medical treatment to patients found in three different fires, 6 patients with asthma, among which one suffered a severe asthma attack. “Throughout the days of the holiday, more than 100 volunteers worked towards saving lives. I thank the many volunteers who cleared their schedules for saving lives, and the volunteers’ supervisor, EMT, Yedidia Melzer, as well as EMT Shmill David, who is responsible for logistics.”

The operation, named “Our Rebi”, was participated by over 100 EMTs and paramedics, First Responders and volunteers, in collaboration with different rescue organizations such as Hatzoloh Galil, Hatzoloh Yavniel and Hatzoloh Yosh (Yehuda/Shomron), who stayed in Uman during Rosh Hashana and treated over 150 Israeli, most of whom required further medical treatment in a local clinic, where they were also enjoyed the supervision of the volunteers.

MDA Director General, Eli Bin: “MDA teams engage in saving lives through all hours of the day and night. The mission of saving lives knows no borders. In Uman, where thousands of Israelis are staying these days, there are MDA standby First Responders who engage in saving lives in the area. Any Jew that arrives at the tziyun of Rav Nachman these days, should be aware that there too – MDA, Israel’s national rescue organization will be at his or her service.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)