On Feb. 22, National Defibrillator Day, Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical services system, provided free hands-on training on how to respond to cardiac arrest and use an automated external defibrillator.
The initiative comes in response to new findings that highlight a significant gap between public awareness and practical preparedness, and follows ongoing MDA efforts, in cooperation with Mifal HaPais, Israel’s government-owned lottery company, to expand public access to defibrillators and encourage the registration of privately owned devices in MDA’s national registry.
A recent survey initiated by MDA and conducted by the Maagar Mochot Research Institute found that 63% of Israelis do not feel confident in their ability to use a defibrillator, and 62% report that they have never received training on the device. Despite this, public awareness remains high: 92% of respondents said they know what a defibrillator is, 96% understand its lifesaving importance, and among those who have not been trained, 86% expressed interest in learning how to use one.
