United Hatzalah sent a delegation of EMTs, paramedics, doctors, and logistics personnel to Panama to train their counterparts in providing the proper response for a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI).

“We put a lot of emphasis on dealing with a terror attack due to the current worldwide political situation, but we also drilled responses to natural disasters like the one that took place in Ecuador,” said Dovy Maisel, vice president of United Hatzalah and the director of international operations from its Israel office. Maisel, who himself is a medic, was on hand during the drill.

The training took place in April and culminated with an MCI drill that saw 30 mock casualties with a variety of injuries receive treatment from 20 EMS personnel from United Hatzalah of Panama.

“It is due to the Israeli team’s instruction and expertise that the Panamanian team knows how to deal with an MCI so well,” said Ramon Gateno, director of United Hatzalah in Panama.

The Israeli team set out to Panama specifically to train the medics, who mainly work out of Panama City.

“We drilled the Panama team using the experience and regulations that the Israeli teams have built up over the years in responding to countless attacks,” said Maisel.

United Hatzalah is the national volunteer EMS service in Israel. The organization has international branches in Brazil and Panama and maintains sister organizations in Jersey City, Detroit, India, and Bangladesh.

(via Israel21c)

[Photo: United Hatzalah Spokesperson’s Department]