HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

Magen David Adom (MDA) was organized in 1930
in Tel Aviv as a volunteer, "shoestring" operation
by a group of seven Israeli doctors, as a oneroom
emergency medical service.
1998 Nairobi, Kenya US Embassy Explosion Blood
units, paramedics
1995 Egio-Greece Earthquake Sheets and blankets
1994 December Djibouti Floods Medical aid,
medical corps, complete field hospital July
Rwanda Medical aid, medical corps, complete field
hospital.
In July of 1950, the Knesset (Israel's Parliament)
ratified the Magen David Adom Law, which
charged MDA with responsibility for:
Providing auxiliary service to Israel's Army
Medical Corps in wartime, including providing
emergency medical care for the wounded and
war refugees
Providing civilian emergency, medical, and
first-aid services and
temporary shelter in emergency situations
Maintaining a blood bank for civilian use.
Highlights of International Aid (as of 2010)
2010 - Haiti Earthquake Israel set up full field
hospital within two days, flying in 220 medical
specialists, a search and rescue team with
canine units, security, construction crews, and
communications and logistics experts.
2004 - 2005 S.E. Asia Tsunami Medical relief
team, medical supplies, and food supplies
Kenya Terrorist attack Blood units 7 Paramedics
Congo Volcanic eruption Distribution of medical
supplies; Two tons donated by Israel United
Kibbutz Movement
2001 USA Terrorist Attack Blood Units; India
Earthquake Paramedic Crew
2000 Ethiopia Starvation Donated food (including
baby food and flour), water, and medication. A
bank account for donations setup. Eritrea
Refugee Relief Food and basic medical
equipment
1999 Indonesia/Bali Blood Bank Fire Disaster
2400 Empty Single Blood Bags 55 Bottles of Anti-
AB Sera (Ortho and Gamma) A serum detecting
Hepatitis C and B Kosovo Refugee Relief
Paramedics, Mobile Field Hospitals, Blood Units,
Clothing Donations Turkey Earthquake 12
paramedics sent for Search and Rescue efforts
Kosovo Aid Rebuilding Blood Services MDA Blood
Bank Supervisor sent to provide technical
assistance Greece Earthquake Paramedics and
blood supplies;
Israeli scientists developed the first fully
computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic
instrumentation for breast cancer.
An Israeli company developed a computerized
system for ensuring proper administration of
medications, thus minimizing human error from
medical treatment. Every year in U.S. hospitals
7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.
Israel's Givun imaging developed the first
ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a
pill. Used to view the small intestine from the
inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer
and digestive disorders.
Researchers in Israel developed a new device
that directly helps the heart pump blood, an
innovation with the potential to save lives among
those with congestive heart failure. The new
device is synchronized with the heart's
mechanical operations through a sophisticated
system of sensors.
Historically, the Ministry of Communications was
a division within the Ministry of Transportation in
charge of postal delivery as well as oversight of
the telephone and telegraph facilities that had
existed since the British Mandate period (1922-
1948). This division became the Ministry of Posts
in 1952, and the Ministry of Communications was
established in 1971. The Postal Authority began to
operate outside of the Ministry in 1987; and Bezeq,
the Israeli Telecommunications Company, was
founded in 1982.
There are 2.1 mobile cellular phones per
household in Israel, and 5.3 million (2010) Internet
users: Israel has the highest number of home
computers in the world, and ranks 2nd after
Canada, in internet users.
The Holy Land - The Essential Guide to Living in Israel 23