Israel’s Health Minister Haim Katz, together with Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov, visited United Hatzalah’s national headquarters in Jerusalem on Thursday for a working visit focused on emergency medical response and cooperation with the Health Ministry.
The delegation was welcomed by United Hatzalah’s founder and President Eli Beer, CEO Ehud Davidson and Deputy CEO Eli Pollak, and members of the organization’s executive leadership, United Hatzalah said in a statement.
Katz and Bar Siman Tov toured the organization’s National Dispatch and Command Center and received briefings on its emergency response operations, technological systems, volunteer network, Drone Unit, Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit, and fleet of emergency vehicles.
The visit also included discussions on strengthening coordination between the Ministry of Health and United Hatzalah during both routine operations and national emergencies, according to United Hatzalah.
During the visit, the minister said, “Today, I met people who leave behind their families, workplaces and daily routines in order to save lives entirely on a volunteer basis, driven by a true sense of purpose and mission to save lives.
“United Hatzalah is a significant part of Israel’s emergency medical response system, with the ability to reach anyone, anywhere, within minutes. The cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the organization is important during both routine times and emergencies, and we will continue working to remove barriers and provide volunteers with the tools they need so they can continue doing what they do every day: saving lives,” Katz said
Beer was cited in the statement as highlighting the growing partnership between the organization and the ministry.
“United Hatzalah operates as a civilian operational arm supporting the national healthcare system, ensuring that every individual in need receives assistance within minutes,” he said.
“The combination of the ministry’s policy and regulatory framework with the operational strength of our thousands of volunteers in the field significantly enhances our collective ability to save lives every day. We thank the minister and director-general for their strong support, for recognizing the indispensable role of our volunteers as an integral part of Israel’s national resilience, and for addressing critical bureaucratic challenges that will help save lives across the country.”
