Since the escalation of conflict between Iran and Israel on 12 June, Magen David Adom (MDA) - Israel’s national emergency medical service - has been operating at its highest level of alert, mobilizing its full range of emergency response capabilities.
With 2,000 ambulances and emergency vehicles staffed and running around the clock, MDA has been at the forefront of life-saving efforts across the country.
During the two weeks of hostilities, MDA teams have treated more than 1,300 patients on the ground and transported many to hospitals.
Their work extends beyond emergency medical care, however. Teams have been actively involved in urban search and rescue operations, freeing survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings, and evacuating vulnerable patients, including bedridden individuals and premature infants, using specially equipped intensive care buses.
MDA has also launched a national blood donation campaign, and despite the challenging conditions and public advisories to stay at home, collected over 10,000 units of blood.
Courage to work under fire
The dangers faced by MDA teams are very real as they respond to emergency calls while missile attacks are ongoingIn just one example, , a Mobile Intensive Care Unit team — including paramedic Nitzan Oren, and emergency medical technicians Irit Naor and Eti Cohen — was dispatched to a routine emergency call in the Dan Region on 13 June.
While en route, they received an alert for incoming rockets. Following protocols, they pulled over, exited the vehicle, and took cover.
A rocket exploded just hundreds of meters away, severely damaging their ambulance. Thanks to their quick thinking, protective equipment and adherence to safety instructions, the three women sustained only minor injuries*. “If we hadn’t acted that way, we wouldn’t be here today,”* said Nitzan Oren.