Israeli Ambulance Service

I have still yet to be on an Israeli ambulance, if any of you follow my other blog "A Walk in the Desert", I wrote a little about my frustration with...you guessed it, Bureaucracy! This post, though, has nothing to do with that terrible word, but more to do with my observations before I get on the ambulance here. For those of you who are not familiar with Israel and its multitude of problems, Israel has been in a state of war since its founding in 1948 and even before that. It is due to this unfortunate constant state of war that Israel has developed a stellar ambulance and healthcare system. Like any great healthcare system, however, there are problems. I don't have a great grasp on the complexities of the Israeli healthcare system other than to say that it is similar to those in Europe being universal. According to an earlier discussion I had this year with Israelis about their health care system, if there is an emergency you can almost always see a doctor right away. There is the unfortunate hassle, though, of having to wait to see a doctor for, sometimes, up to a month or more for non-emergent care. This makes sense when looking at how many people are being cared for in the country, but still, its hard if you need someone to simply look at a small something-or-other that is bothering you. When discussing this with the Israelis they explained that it could be sometimes frustrating to wait, but all were satisfied with their system which has multiple levels of care. While everyone gets a basic package covered by the State, individuals can buy into more expensive packages if they so choose.

As for the Israeli ambulance service, my observations are limited to an outsider view and limited research. Israel's national ambulance service is called Magen David Adom (the red shield of David). Recognized by the Red Cross, this organization handles most, if not all, national emergency medical needs including domestic calls (medical or trauma) and military calls. During the most recent conflict in Israel with the launching of hundreds of rockets daily into Israel by Hamas terrorists, MDA responded with fleets of ambulances transporting victims from across Israel, especially Sderotm one of the hardest hit towns in Israel. Dealing with trauma is MDA's specialty having had many years dealing with terrorist attacks and wars. My impressions are that the Israeli ambulance does not spend a lot of time on scene. They are a "drive it like you stole it" type organization, preferring to get the patient to the nearest hospital ASAP without spending lots of time on scene. This is very much a trauma based system with lots of emphasis put on quickly and effectively stabilizing a patient on-route to the hospital.

MDA is largely made up of volunteers. There are five different levels of care takers on an Israeli ambulance: First Responder (generally most of the volunteers fit into this level of training), Chovesh (essentially an EMT-Basic), Chovesh Bachir (A senior EMT), Paramedic, and sometimes a physician. Usually a Lavan (literally translated as white), or BLS ambulance, is staffed by a first responder,a chovesh, and a chovesh bachir. The Natan (Mobile Intensive Care Unit)is generally staffed by a chovesh/chovesh bacir, a paramedic, and sometimes there is a physician on board. The Atan (Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance) is generally staffed the same as a Natan.

My goals over the next month and a half will be to learn as much as I can about how the Israeli ambulance and medical system work. I hope to learn more about emergency rooms in Israel and the care patients get throughout the entire process of transport to ER. I will post more as I begin volunteering with Magen David Adom.