The Uman Chapter of United Hatzalah has completed preparations for Rosh Hashanah and the expected thousands of pilgrims who come annually to the city for the holiday. People are scheduled to arrive starting today, and many often stay until after Sukkos.

Volunteers from United Hatzalah’s branch in the city, who operate throughout the year in Uman, as well as other parts of Ukraine, will be reinforced by volunteers coming from Israel, the U.S., and other countries for the holiday. The teams undertook preparations for the holiday already a few weeks ago and have been busy setting up first aid stations, signposts, and a medical clinic in partnership with the local Breslov community.

Vice President of the Volunteer Department for United Hatzalah Lazar Hyman spoke about the effort of the team in Uman that has taken on a more significant role these past two years during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “Each year our volunteers see an astronomical rise in emergency calls during Rosh Hashanah due to the influx of tens of thousands of visitors for the holiday. Our teams finished their preparations in order to be able to provide a faster and more comprehensive response than ever before. We have additional ambulances this year as well ATVs and additional medical equipment that we have brought and prepared both at the basic life support level (BLS) as well as at the advanced life support level (ALS). The local volunteers as well as those coming for the holiday will be outfitted with the most advanced equipment and technology in order to safeguard the health and lives of those in attendance. We are working together with the local authorities in Ukraine in order to safeguard those coming to celebrate the holiday here.”

Mattias Shapira, who heads the United Hatzalah chapter in Uman added, “Similar to what we have done in previous years, our volunteers have hung signs at the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and the surrounding area so that divide the town up into sections. People in need of medical assistance will be able to give the location of the sign to the dispatcher who will immediately notify the volunteers on duty in that section. When dealing with tens of thousands of people in a small area, most of the medical response is one on foot, and based on previous years’ experiences this method has proven effective in locating those in need of medical attention and getting them the help they need with near immediate speed.”

If anyone is in need of assistance while in Uman please call the dispatch at the local Ukrainian number at 063-800-1221.