Cash-strapped MDA closes West Bank ambulance stations

Amid an uptick in violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Magen David Adom emergency response service is to reportedly close nearly a dozen ambulance stations over the Green Line because it doesn’t have enough finances to keep paying employees.

MDA stations in 11 Israeli settlements will not provide services until next year at the earliest after the Health Ministry only supplied half of the paramedic organization’s expected financial support, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported Monday.

Another three ambulance stations in the north of the country, at Metulla, Misgav and Avivim, will also stop operations due to the cash crisis.

MDA, which relies on donations for most of its funding, will try to provide ambulance coverage by extending service from other scramble stations in the area, MDA officials said. The problem has been made more acute because MDA’s expenses last year were higher than usual due to an increase in fuel prices.

“For 11 months we were responsible and did not close the service, but now we have no choice,” said MDA director general Eli Bein. “We need to pay wages to our workers. Even today, if the Health Ministry pledged that the money would arrive we would continue to operation the stations. I am not asking for it in cash today. Only a commitment — but even that I can’t get because no one is talking to us.”

Head of MDA operations Gil Moshkovitz sent a letter to the Health Ministry laying out the problems in which he noted that instead of the NIS 10.24 million ($2.65 million) that had been allocated, only NIS 5.645 million ($1.46 million) was actually received.

The moves comes amid a reported rise in violent incidents as tensions between Israeli and Palestinians have spiraled over recent weeks.

In the settlement of Ariel, the largest Jewish community in the northern West Bank, only an intensive care ambulance will continue to run while regular ambulance services will halt.

Stations will also close in Beit Aryeh, Shavei Shomron, Shaked, Alphei Menashe, Talmon-Dolev, Megillot, Beitar Illit, the Jordan Valley, Tekoa and Givat Ze’ev.

“The decision to close MDA stations at this time in the West Bank, especially today with the volatile security situation, is foolishness on the part of the state decision makers,” said Avi Naim, head of the Beit Aryeh municipal council, where one of the affected ambulance stations is located. “I call on the health service and the finance minister to find an answer to the budget immediately before we pay the price in blood.”

In a response to Yedioth, the Health Ministry pointed out that it too must balance its budget.

“The Health Ministry budgets the activities at MDA scramble points in the West Bank and the north according to an amount that is based on the ministry’s budget,” the ministry said. “At the same time, the ministry is in a prolonged dialogue with MDA about its operation costs.”