Magen David Adom’s first-of-its-kind intensive care bus in Israel, equipped with 7 beds and 10 seats
Due to the security situation in northern Israel, a special operation has been conducted by Magen David Adom teams, transferring nine premature infants from Carmel Medical Centre to protected hospitals in Haifa and Hadera.
Dr Keren Lavi Nevo, Head of the Neonatal Unit at Carmel Medical Centre, stated that the infants would continue to be monitored by the medical team from Carmel during their stay in the neonatal units of the hospitals to which they were transferred. Most of the infants were transported using MDA’s new advanced intensive care bus, which has the capacity to transfer seven stretcher patients and ten seated patients.
The new bus, the first of its kind in Israel, joins MDA’s fleet of intensive care buses. It was designed and built based on lessons learned from Black Saturday and can treat multiple patients simultaneously using advanced medications, a sophisticated oxygen system that provides oxygen to all patients at once, advanced intensive care equipment including monitors, ventilation equipment, resuscitation tools, 220V electric sockets next to each bed, and compatibility with ECMO devices. The bus is staffed by professional medical teams trained specifically for this purpose. Loading patients onto the bus is done via a unique, sophisticated hydraulic loading device that opens from the side of the bus.
The intensive care bus is intended to transport and treat a large number of patients or injured individuals simultaneously. It will be used, when necessary, to transfer patients from hospitals and other locations across the country. The bus is intercity, 4 meters high, 2.25 meters wide, and 14 meters long. Depending on road conditions, it can reach the speed required for fast and safe transport and has space for patients, patient escorts, and medical teams.
MDA Director General Eli Bin said: “Magen David Adom is constantly striving to improve and adapt to the emergency medical needs of the State of Israel. The new intensive care bus, which joins MDA’s fleet of specialized vehicles, is a testament to this. Its advanced capabilities and the large number of patients it can evacuate will allow for better, faster, and more efficient medical services for the citizens of Israel.”
