Three Million Surgical Masks Land in Israel
Three Million Surgical Masks Land in Israel and are Transferred to Magen David Adom and Other Essential Institutions in Israel, in Coordination with Foreign Ministry
The masks, donated to Israel by Milner Foundation founded by legendary tech investor Yuri Milner and his wife Julia, will be distributed to a range of hospitals and essential national organizations whose whose frontline workers are still required to do their jobs during the lockdown. Last month, Milner Foundation donated three million dollars to Magen David Adom, Ichilov, and the University of Tel Aviv.
Milner: “Julia and I are honored to help Israel in a small way during these difficult times”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which assisted in obtaining the donation and in coordinating its arrival and distribution: “It’s rare to see private foundations operating in this capacity”.
Director of Magen David Adom: “This significant donation will assist in the national struggle against the spread of coronavirus”.
Three million surgical masks, donated by the Milner Foundation, established by renowned tech investor and science philanthropist Yuri Milner, and his wife Julia, landed this evening in Israel. A dedicated El Al cargo flight departed from the international Hongchi Airport in Shanghai in coordination with ICL - Israel Cargo Logistics, which was responsible for leasing the “Jerusalem of Gold” Dreamliner airplane and coordinating the delivery’s arrival to Israel. Tomorrow, the masks will be transferred to Magen David Adom, which will distribute them to its emergency services staff, as well as to a range of hospitals, government offices, and national institutions providing essential services to the public. The donation was executed in coordination with the Consul-General of Israel in San Francisco, Mr Shlomi Kofman.
Milner, an Israeli citizen living in Silicon Valley, was an early investor in a range of tech giants that shaped the Internet, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Airbnb and Spotify. Between 2005 and 2010, he even lived in Israel. He posits that “If we want to maintain our way of life, I would urge business leaders to consider adopting this practice even after the current acute phase of the crisis, and to provide their employees with masks for daily use in the office”. Milner added that “wearing a mask – covering the mouth and nose – needs to be the new norm when we’re outside of our homes. In conjunction with hand-washing, social distancing and other measures, this should be our strategy to get through the current crisis until the scientists come to the rescue, and develop a reliable vaccine or treatment.”
Foreign Minister Israel Katz thanked Milner for his donation, noting that he sees in him “a true friend of Israel”, and stating that: “During these times, the Foreign Ministry is serving as a central actor, assisting in the acquisition of essential equipment for fighting coronavirus – whether that be acquiring medical equipment, or securing contributions that assist Israel in coping with the crisis”.
Director of Magen David Adom, Eli Bin: “The masks are an important tool in ensuring the safety of medics, paramedics and doctors, and no less important, the safety of ill patients that come into close contact with medical staff. I would like to thank Yuri and Julia Milner and the Milner Foundation for their generous and significant contribution to Magen David Adom and to medical personnel across Israel. The donation will assist in the national struggle against the spread of coronavirus.
The Consul-General of Israel in San Francisco, Mr Shlomi Kofman, stated that: “It is moving to see Israelis across the ocean supporting their country during this difficult period, and it is rare to see private foundations operating in this capacity. Thanks to the Milner Foundation’s donation, thousands of Israelis, and public servants who are serving the general public during the crisis, will be able to wear masks – an essential and necessary item now in global shortage”.
• Amongst the government institutions expected to receive masks: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its staff working to obtain international assistance and equipment; Ministries of Transportation, Finance, Economy, and Immigration, as well as the Ministry of Religious Services. Staff at these offices set to receive masks are those who continue their work in spite of the lockdown, and who are involved with essential national services.
• National organizations that will receive masks: Magen David Adom, Zaka, Israel Railways, Israel Post, Israel Roads; Israel Airports Authority and Ben Gurion Airport, as well as essential employees in national security. Staff set to receive masks within these bodies are those that continue to provide essential services to the general public during the crisis.
• Hospitals that will receive masks: Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva; Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak; Carmel Medical Center in Haifa; Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera; HaEmek Medical Center in Afula; and Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. In distributing the masks, emphasis has been placed on transferring the masks to remote hospitals distant from the center of Israel.
Only last month The Milner Foundation has announced a $3 million donation to three Israeli institutions leading the ‘race against the clock’ in preventing the spread of coronavirus in Israel. The donation was split between Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical response organization, which is launching an innovative project to reduce the number of people coming to clinics; Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and George S. Wise Life Sciences, which will support research efforts aimed at developing treatments for the virus; and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Ichilov Hospital, which will directly fund the intensive care unit that is caring for COVID-19 sufferers.
