Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical service, is intensifying preparations for a potential conflict with Hezbollah. Sky News reported today on MDA's advanced readiness measures, including a secure underground blood bank and a new operations center.
The blood bank, described as "Israel's blood safe," is stored 15 meters underground in a highly secure, climate-controlled room. It contains hundreds of liters of blood of all types, ready for mass casualty events. The exact location and security measures remain confidential.
Adjacent to the blood bank is MDA's new underground operations center. Uri Shaham, head of the CEO's office and director of MDA's Red Cross department, stated that the facility is "completely secure and allows us to continue answering calls even under missile attacks."
MDA is also preparing for worst-case scenarios, including total communication blackouts. They've developed a relay system using human messengers on motorcycles to gather information and provide first aid if electronic communications fail.
The organization has implemented predictive systems to anticipate where missiles might land, allowing them to dispatch ambulances preemptively. MDA now aims to reach any emergency call in Israel within five minutes.
Following October 7, donations have enabled MDA to acquire dozens of small community medical assistance vehicles for high-risk towns and villages. The organization has also stockpiled essential medical supplies sufficient for three weeks in case international aid cannot reach the country.
* Globes contributed to this article.
