Ashdod will become the first city in Israel with MDA smart defibrillator devices in every apartment building
A life-saving project initiated by Ashdod City Council member Adv. Hanoh Drach Erlich kicks off on Sunday and as part of it, the municipality requires every new building in the city to install a Magen David Adom smart device (defibrillator) as part of the construction permit process.
The defibrillator in place
Ashdod will be the first city in the country that requires every new residential building to place a life-saving device, connected to MDA’s 101 Emergency Dispatch Center. This allows full public access at any time and the public to operate the device with no prior training.
The first defibrillator installed was in the Y.H. DIMRI Tower of Dimri Company’s project, located on Tzahal Street in the city. It was inaugurated in a ceremony in the presence of Mayor Dr. Yehiel Lasri, Deputy Mayor Shimon Katznelson, City Council member Adv. Hanoh Drach Erlich, Y.H. DIMRI CEO Yigal Dimri and MDA Lachish Region director Haim Karadi. Y.H Dimri chose to install the device in the new building to maintain the health of the tenants.
Dr Yehiel Lasri, Mayor of Ashdod said: “The City Council unanimously decided to approve the proposal of Councilor Adv. Hanoh Drach Erlich and we are proud and happy to be the first city in Israel to require residential buildings to install a life-saving defibrillator in every new building in the city. The devices will be connected to MDA’s 101 Emergency Dispatch Centre and together with the National Rescue Organization we will offer a CPR training course for residents’ in each building. In this way, it will be possible to provide urgent help and save the lives of residents. We hope other cities will adopt the decision. ”
“I saw Magen David Adom smart defibrillator devices placed in public places in several cities in the country, and I wanted to integrate the program in Ashdod as well,’ said council member Drach Erlich. “In the first stage, we formed a collaboration with MDA and placed devices throughout the city for the benefit of the public. I thought we should take this one step further. Therefore, we passed a motion in the city council to install a defibrillator in each building, as a condition for receiving building permits. I am excited to see it implemented today. The mayor, also as a doctor, strongly supported the proposal. Now that Ashdod is the first city in Israel where the device must be installed in every building, my goal is to implement the project in every city and building in Israel.”
Through the smart stand, any citizen who calls the MDA 101 Emergency Dispatch in the event of a medical emergency requiring resuscitation, as part of the telephone instruction and in conjunction with the dispatch of an intensive care unit and MDA First Responders on motorcycles, will be instructed to bring and operate the device in cases of cardiac arrest and save lives. Many lives have already been saved across the country using the Magen David Adom defibrillator devices, which any citizen can operate easily, without prior medical knowledge.
