MDA-ED2 PhotoBook P001-096 FIN 02 Spreads With Covers - Flipbook - Page 14
COVID-19
Photo: MDA
International borders have not held back the coronavirus
pandemic, with Israel suffering along with the rest of the
world. However, Israel benets from the dedicated staff
and volunteers of MDA who have made a real difference.
A crisis like this demonstrates MDA’s strengths and capabilities
at every stage of the process, from providing advice through
its call centres, to delivering vaccines on the ground.
Through 2020, MDA tested more than 2 million people for
the virus in many different locations. MDA provided tests in
hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and schools, and hundreds
of thousands of tests in private homes where necessary.
Also, MDA ran a Drive and Test programme with permanent
sites in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and Beersheba, along with
additional locations where needed. More than 100,000 people
were tested every single week by the end of 2020.
Photo: MDA
As well as testing for infection, MDA also carried
out thousands of antibody tests to see if people had
caught the virus earlier in the year. All of this was
achieved in addition to MDA’s existing workload,
which includes transporting patients who are sick
with the virus to hospitals.
During the pandemic, MDA’s emergency call centres
all experienced increased volumes of activity. MDA
has its National Operations Centre in Kiryat Ono near
Tel Aviv as well as six regional dispatch centres around
the country. Already Israel’s largest call centre network,
MDA swiftly expanded it following an initial 700% spike
in calls. In one hour in March 2020, more than 9,000
calls were received – this being 50% more than the
usual trafc for an entire day. On some busier days,
almost 50,000 calls were answered. Consequently,
capacity was practically trebled, from 93 workstations
up to 352, achieved by expanding existing facilities and
opening a new site in Ramla.
Crew ready to provide COVID-19 tests.
MDA also ran a stand at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport to
test thousands of travellers returning to the country.
Photo: MDA
As well as taking hundreds of thousands of samples
for testing, MDA blood services have been involved
in the collection of plasma from those who have
recovered from coronavirus. The plasma has been
used to treat seriously ill patients and for the
production of a passive vaccine.
C OV I D - 1 9
MDA has led the roll-out of vaccinations in Israel, which
in turn has led the world. Special training given to MDA
teams enabled rst round vaccinations to been given
to all residents of nursing homes and elderly-care
facilities by early January 2021. Israel has the target of
being the rst country in the world to vaccinate all of
this vulnerable group, followed by its entire population.
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Helping to roll out the vaccination programme.
