MDA israel

In a special ceremony held in Kikar Tzahal in central Jerusalem, a new public access defibrillator (PAD) was dedicated. It is one of 30 new smart stands donated by the founder and managing director of Cross River Bank Gilles Gade, in partnership with the Israeli Friends of MDA and the Jerusalem municipality. The PADs will be distributed across the city in order to save the lives of the residents and tourists in and around the city. 

Cross River, a fintech company from New Jersey, is one of MDA's main partners in the PAD project in Jerusalem. 

To date there are over 1,000 PADs across Israel, and these new stands will join the 66 already in existence in the capital city. Present at the festive dedication ceremony were Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon, Cross River founder and general manager Gilles Gade, Cross River communications and external relations director Uriel Goldberg, MDA Jerusalem Regional Director Ori Shacham, Chairperson of the Israeli Friends of MDA Orli Ariel, and other dignitaries. 

This latest donation is a continuation of the company's partnership in coverage of Jerusalem with PADs. Just over a year ago, the company, along with IFCJ, Mr. Moshe Greenberg and other donors, along with the Jerusalem municipality, donated 600 defibrillators to synagogues across the capital. 

Giving a patient an electric shock from a defibrillator within a period of 3-5 minutes from the moment a cardiac arrest event begins can increase the chances of survival by dozens of percent. For every 60 seconds that pass without treatment from the moment a cardiac event begins, the patient's chances of survival decrease by about 7% to 10%, and the faster the electric shock is given, the more the patient's chance of resuming the heart's activity increases, the MDA explains. Many lives have already been saved across Israel using the Magen David Adom defibrillator devices, which anyone can easily operate, even without prior medical knowledge. The device delivers electric shocks as needed, dictates the rate of resuscitation, and provides clear audio and visual operating instructions. At the same time, the defibrillator is connected to MDA's 101 Emergency Call Center, when the person using the defibrillator receives additional instructions from the EMTs and paramedics at the call center. At the same time, MDA teams receive details about the patient and are on their way to the scene.

The CEO of the MDA Friends Association in Israel, Orly Ariel: "Magen David Adom thanks you for the honorable and moving donation, which will significantly improve the service to the residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding area and will help in the fight to save lives in the public sphere. We thank Mr. Gilles Gade, a long-time donor of MDA who acts for the citizens of Israel in a variety of fields. The donation is a collaboration between MDA and the Jerusalem Municipality with the aim of improving the service to the resident."