Bennett at MDA call cntr
Bennett at MDA call cntrMDA Spokesperson

Former Defense Minister and chairman of Yamina, MK Naftali Bennett, visited the MDA National Center in Kiryat Ono today (Thursday) together with MDA Director General Eli Bin and senior members of the organization.

Bennett held a comprehensive tour of the facility and met with medics and paramedics to learn about the activities of the national rescue organization at the forefront of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

During the tour, Bennett was introduced to MDA's routine and emergency activities and was briefed on the organization's response to the coronavirus crisis, as well as the program's virus testing carried out in cooperation with Israel's medical insurance network and Home Front Command, during which about three million people have been tested for the virus.

Bennett also heard about the MDA's blood and plasma donations from recovered virus patients to those still suffering from the disease, as well as the activities of the National Dairy Bank.

MDA officials introduced Bennett to the organization's project in local communities, expected to reduce overcrowding in the nation's ERs by about 30%, and showed him their special vehicles, including an intensive care bus, MDA helicopters, and trailers for providing virus testing for citizens nationwide as well as administering COVID-19 vaccines to large portions of the population in the coming future.

Bennett also toured MDA's emergency call center and showed great interest in the many life-saving technologies developed by the organization. He said he was greatly impressed by the integration of haredim in the system, including both paramedics at the call center and female programmers developing new technologies.

Bennett said that, "MDA workers are on the front lines in the battle against the coronavirus and doing a wonderful job of it. Thanks to your personal touch, innovative nature, versatility, speed of action, I consider you a key partner in this undertaking. "This year, all Israelis realized the importance of MDA. Thank you on behalf of the citizens of Israel," he concluded.

MDA Director General Eli Bin said, "We were pleased to host MK Bennett and introduce him to our many activities – be it in times of crisis or in the scope of everyday work. Bennett expressed great interest in technological developments and the integration of haredim within our ranks. We thank him for devoting his time to visiting MDA and getting to know the organization's employees and volunteers."