MDA israel

Hanan and Naama Krantz, a married couple and parents of four, are both volunteer paramedics with MDA. They live in the community of Tene Omarim and, like thousands of other volunteers, are dispatched to nearby medical emergencies through MDA’s dedicated response app as part of the organization’s Immediate Response Unit. Their work strengthens community resilience, something that is always important, and especially so during times like these. When lifesaving volunteer work is part of everyday life at home, their children aren’t surprised when Mom or Dad is suddenly called out and rushes out the door.

But this time was particularly complicated. While Hanan was serving as a reservist in the IDF, Naama, who, in addition to being a paramedic, also works as a midwife at Soroka Medical Center and is part of MDA’s on-call midwives team, was dispatched to assist a pregnant woman who had gone into labor in her car while on her way to the hospital.

“I left with a maternity kit provided by MDA, and a wonderful EMT from our community, MDA volunteer Hila Shitrit, joined me,” Naama said. “The woman and her husband had pulled over to the side of the road. When we arrived, we helped them welcome their baby into the world, a beautiful baby boy. An MDA ambulance team that arrived shortly after continued monitoring the mother and newborn and transported them to the hospital for further care.”

“While assisting with the delivery, calming the mother, and supporting the newborn, I was able to briefly disconnect from everything going on, from the war and the sirens,” Naama added. “The EMT in the ambulance suggested I join the transport, and that’s when I realized I had left my children home alone and that a siren could go off while they were there. I knew the mother and baby were in good hands with the MDA team. Women are strong,” she concluded. “We can handle anything. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to help during such a meaningful and emotional moment.”

Like Naama, hundreds of dedicated professional midwives have joined MDA’s Immediate Response Unit and are dispatched through a specialized app to pregnancy and childbirth emergencies, helping ensure that women experiencing labor or obstetric emergencies receive the best possible medical care.

Yossi Halabi, Director of the Immediate Response Department in MDA’s Operations Division, said: “Since the program began, midwives have responded to hundreds of obstetric emergencies, providing the highest level of professional care together with other MDA teams, including paramedics, EMTs, and physicians.”