United Hatzalah Overcoming the EMS challenges of the Negev Desert

Jerusalem, April 17th, - In the land that Moses walked and the Jews wandered for some of their 40 years, the land in which Ben Gurion said that Israel will be tested, Israel’s national volunteer EMS organization, United Hatzalah is making waves and saving lives daily. The Negev desert has long been one of Israel’s most beautiful and expansive areas. With large swaths of land that have been left unsettled, and lengthy distances between townships, it has remained one of the most natural and unsettled areas in Israel. The above characteristics while allowing for a pastoral setting also pose a challenge to EMS responders who often need to respond to emergencies in far away and difficult to reach locations. The emergency response is estimated at up to 30 minutes in certain remote locales. The rate slows the further out into the periphery one is and often, hikers, travellers and tourists have to wait for an emergency response team to be sent from the closest large city. The time spent in getting the response team to the location can often cost vital minutes and have a serious impact on the health or chance of survival for the injured person in need of medical care. The United Hatzalah EMS service, which prides itself on maintaining a response time of less than three minutes across the country, is rising to the challenge posed by the geography and the population density issues of the Negev. Currently, United Hatzalah’s Negev Chapter is holding a course, which when gradated wil...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Operations Industry News Source Type: news