MDA ambulance
MDA ambulanceMDA Jerusalem

After failing to receive the full budget that Magen David Adom (MDA) was expecting to receive from the Amana settlement housing agency, MDA announced that it would be reducing its activities in Judea, Samaria and the northern border communities starting Friday, December 30.

In a letter sent to the chairman of Amana and to government ministers and others, MDA Director General Eli Bin wrote, “After a year in which you gave me and other MDA authorities assurances that the budget for MDA activities in Judea, Samaria would be taken care of as needed, we are facing a hopeless situation.”

“To date we can see no solution that will allow our operations that took place in 2016 to continue forward, based on the funds you have provided.”

“Due to your lack of planning and because the necessary funds have not been transferred to MDA to cover salaries, fuel, insurance and maintenance, the MDA is facing a deficit that will impact operations in the entire country,” Bin wrote.

In response to the impending MDA service cuts, United Hatzalah has announced that it would step in to help fill in the need for emergency medical services.

“We understand from the statement released by MDA that budget cuts by the Amana settlement housing agency are affecting its emergency response service, and as a result, MDA is reducing its services to Judea, Samaria and the northern border region,” said United Hatzalah CEO Moshe Teitelbaum in a statement.

“We realize this measure may exacerbate injuries or cost lives. As a volunteer organization engaged in saving lives, we cannot stand idly by,” he continued.

“We will therefore increase our services to these areas. We have placed our volunteers on heightened alert, and this evening will move extra equipment and volunteers to Judea, Samaria and to the northern border region,” Teitelbaum said.

Eli Beer, President of United Hatzalah, added that “In the coming days we will examine the possibility of transporting additional ambulances to these areas and to purchase additional ones in order to provide the appropriate response. We urge residents to call United Hatzalah in an emergency. The phone number is 1221. Our workers are volunteers and all Hatzalah services are free to the public."