What a yom kippur MDA had

supermom

Mon, Oct 02 2006, 11:27 pm

MDA Works Overtime on Yom Kippur
23:04 Oct 02, '06 / 10 Tishrei 5767
by Hana Levi Julian

Hundreds of Israelis were treated by Magen David Adom (MDA) medics and volunteers for various ills during the 25 hours of the Yom Kippur fast.

MDA reported Monday night that 1,779 people were treated by staffers and volunteers on Yom Kippur, including 195 children who required first aid for injuries sustained on rollerblades, skates, bicycles and skateboards.

Just prior to the beginning of the fast, 23 people were injured in 22 road accidents across the country. During the course of the fast, 12 people fainted and had to be resuscitated. Another 65 people fainted.

At Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva 30 women gave birth and more than 100 adults were treated for breathing problems and fatigue. The hospital’s pediatric staff treated 80 bruised children.

One woman elsewhere in the country gave birth at home with the assistance of MDA staffers after it became clear she would not make it to the hospital in time. Another 98 women who were in labor were rushed by MDA teams to hospital delivery rooms.

MDA also reported several incidents of rocks being hurled at ambulances as they rushed to care for sick and injured people. A spokesman emphasized that no hareidi youth were involved in any of the attacks. Incidents occurred in Kiryat Motzkin, Netyanya, Ashkelon and Jerusalem.

Residents in Nahariya attacked an employee shuttle driven by an Israeli Arab worker who was insulted and shouted at by people who surrounded the vehicle. The shuttle, which belonged to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, was damaged but the driver was not injured