Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Israel, Magen David Adom has been at the forefront of the battle against the virus.
Our 22,000 volunteers and 2,000 staff have been managing the multiple dedicated call centres established by MDA due to the huge increase in demand for medical assistance. During the peak of the virus, the call centres received a record 200,000 calls in one day. This compares to an average 6,000 calls a day during ‘normal’ times.
Paramedics and EMTs were taking samples around the clock, either in private homes or at the ‘drive-thru’ centres, as well as transporting confirmed cases to treatment and isolation centres.
On top of this, Magen David Adom has been leading the way in response to the virus, collecting plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients (read more on p.5) and conducting research into creating a vaccine. Israel is at the forefront of medical innovation.
At the height of the pandemic, Forbes magazine ranked Israel as the safest country in the world when considering the impact of coronavirus on the population. This is testament to our incredible teams who have shown endless dedication, professionalism and compassion, setting some of the highest medical standards in the world.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the world is ever changing. Although we are still living in uncertain times, Israel has seen a decrease in the rate of infections and as a result has entered the next phase of response to the virus. MDA call centres that were set up to manage the demand have closed, and the responsibility for testing patients for COVID-19 has been transferred to the four public national HMOs (Health Maintenance Organisation). However, MDA remains alert and ready, whatever the future holds.