Yesterday, Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz introduced legislation that would designate Magen David Adom as Israel’s official dispatcher for all medical first responders and make MDA’s 101 medical emergency number the nation’s official hotline.
While a 1950 Knesset law enshrined MDA as Israel’s official EMS and Red Cross service, that law never addressed the issue of designating an official medical emergency hotline or who would serve as the official dispatcher.
At the time, MDA was the only emergency response organization. Today, there are two emergency phone numbers — 101, MDA’s official number, and 1221, the phone number of United Hatzalah.
This legislation terminates the use of emergency numbers other rescue services may use because MDA has developed the world’s most advanced computer-aided dispatch system. When called, the 10 EMTs or paramedics nearest the scene of the emergency are activated, whether they’re affiliated with MDA, United Hatzalah, or any of the other 19 Hatzalah organizations in Israel.
As a result, in 2014 and again in 2017, the Ministry of Health ordered the 1221 number to stop operations as an emergency hotline. However, without the force of law, the 1221 number continued to be promoted.
With this new proposed legislation, 101 would be the only phone number for medical emergencies. And Magen David Adom’s role as the dispatcher for all EMS organizations in Israel will be official.
