Washington, D.C. - Congressman Berman directs your attention to the following press release.

 

 

New York, New York  - July 13, 2006 -- American Friends of Magen David Adom (www.afmda.org) announced today that Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s first-aid and emergency response organization, and the State of Israel are on high blood alert, “Code Red” due to the severity of the violence in the last two weeks. Magen David Adom provides 100% of the blood donations used to treat soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and 97% of the blood used to treat Israeli citizens, and other victims being cared for in Israeli hospitals.

 

On the website of American Friends of Magen David Adom, you will find information about how U.S. citizens can help ensure that the IDF is able to care for all those wounded as the current conflict in the region escalates. A gun shot wound requires 50 units of replacement blood; an organ transplant requires 10 units, and a hip fracture/joint replacement requires 5 units. It costs $36 to produce one unit of blood. This cost does not include the expense of testing and cleaning each unit of blood donated for use. It is imperative that MDA be able to operate at its fullest levels.

 

“It is critical during this time that we support those victims of the recent violence,” says Rabbi Daniel Allen, Executive VP of AFMDA. “In Israel, citizens are lining up to donate blood, but we risk not being able to process all potential donations.”

 

The volunteers and medical professionals of MDA must have the tools they need to operate effectively. One hundred and sixty ambulances have been dispatched from their emergency shelters all over the country and driven to the Northern border. Early next week MDA is training over a hundred volunteers in a crash course. MDA blood services are collecting twice as many blood units and 70% more teams are on red alert. MDA is increasing its capacity while Israel must face two fronts: Northern Galilee and Gaza Strip.

 

In order to allow MDA in Israel to function and keep its highest level, it needs medical supplies, blood test kits, telecommunication devices, life saving vehicles maintenance, increase in staff to work all hours, and so much more.

 

More information may be found at AFMDA’s website (www.afmda.org), or on their hotline, at (866) 632-2763.

 

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