MDA on the frontline of the fight against COVID
'MDA is conducting around 30,000 tests a day throughout Israel and plasma is being collected from recovering patients to assist the seriously ill'.
FUNDS “are urgently required” to enable Magen David Adom (MDA) to continue its lifesaving work in Israel, Australian Friends of MDA president Tony Ziegler says.
The organisation’s annual campaign comes as Israel is struggling against a harsh second wave of coronavirus infections after the country initially appeared to have the pandemic under control.
“In addition to its everyday lifesaving work, Magen David Adom has borne tremendous costs being the frontline of the fight against COVID-19,” Ziegler said.
“More than 750,000 tests have been conducted and thousands of patients transferred to hospitals. MDA’s blood bank has harvested thousands of units of plasma from recovered patients for treatment of severely ill patients.”
CEO Eric Roozendaal said the situation in Israel is deteriorating. “The number of new COVID-19 cases in Israel has disturbingly increased,” he said.
“MDA is conducting around 30,000 tests a day throughout Israel and plasma is being collected from recovering patients to assist the seriously ill.
“This once in a 100-year pandemic is severely draining the resources of Magen David Adom and urgent help is needed. This is why Australian Friends of MDA are launching the Israel COVID-19 Appeal to fund desperately needed supplies.”
Roozendaal noted that MDA does not receive government funding and relies entirely on donations. “MDA deals with all emergencies, from car accidents to terrorist attacks. It also runs the Mothers’ Milk Bank and is building the world’s first rocket and chemical attack-proof National Blood Services Centre,” he added.
“MDA is considered Israel’s most trusted organisation after the IDF and assists all, regardless of religion or ethnicity. It relies on over 24,000 volunteers and 4000 professional staff and needs your help too.”
As part of the campaign, an online event on Sunday, August 16 will provide a behind-the-scenes look at Israel’s COVID-19 battle featuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli music duo Yonina, MDA volunteers and other guests.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told an MDA function in Sydney earlier this year, “The work of MDA would have been almost impossible without the support of our friends here in Australia.”
Register for the online event at magendavidadom.org.au.
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