It’s not every day that an Israeli enters Dubai. Yet, as Israeli technology and innovations are catching international attention, Israeli’s premier emergency medical response team traveled to Dubai last week to participate in a first-ever conference on how to improve medical and emergency care around the world. Organized by MUrgency, the conference brought together global leaders in emergency medicine to share best practices and implement strategies in an aim to cut ambulance response times and advance emergency first response tactics.
Representatives from United Hatzalah of Israel, AMR from the United States, Flack from Europe and Ziqitza Health Care from India participated in this effort to make the world a better place, spearheaded by social entrepreneur Shaffi Mather.
“The goal of the conference was to empower developing countries to implement successful community-based emergency response,” said Dov Maisel, vice president of international operations for United Hatzalah. “It was such a privilege for us as Israelis to be there, sharing our experience, perspective and tactics with so many countries in dire need of assistance.”
Maisel spoke at the conference alongside United Hatzalah President and Founder Eli Beer, explaining that United Hatzalah’s community-based emergency response model combines smartphone technology, trained volunteers carrying medical equipment and motorcycle ambulances to dramatically cut back on response times. Because of the cutting-edge Moskowitz LifeCompass technology that locates, deploys and records the field activities of its 2,500 trained volunteers in Israel, United Hatzalah’s method has cut the average response time to three minutes or less. The technology was customized and built in Israel, but is now being used by EMTs in Argentina, Brazil, Panama, India and Lithuania; a pilot is being launch in Jersey City later this month.
With vast experience working on international rescue missions, Maisel, who most recently returned from Nepal, spoke at the conference about the need for community-based emergency medical first response that can be applied in any circumstance and in any location.
“I believe that together we can save more lives,” said Beer. “We have worked for years developing strategies and methods that work in Israel and that can be shared and implemented in other countries. With shorter response time, more lives are saved. That’s what we’ve done in Israel, and to be able to spread our experience and techniques is such as a tremendous mitzvah with the power to really impact the world positively.”