Israeli and Indonesian emergency services to cooperate by Israel 21c staff

CURRENT EDITION | SPECIAL SERIES | ARCHIVES

On the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Israeli and Indonesian emergency services to cooperate

by Israel 21c staff

20 November 2008

	Print
	Email

TEL AVIV – Israeli know-how in emergency medical services is perhaps one of the country's least-known exports. Magen David Adom (MDA), the National Medical Emergency Society of the State of Israel, is one of several organisations that regularly send delegations to aid not only in disaster relief, but to train Emergency Medical Services (EMS) teams before disaster strikes.

Cooperation between MDA and the Indonesian rescue and emergency organisation began approximately one year ago, with the arrival of a delegation to Israel of 23 Indonesian health and community organisation officials for a course on management of multi-casualty incidents.

Last week marked another milestone for MDA when Dr Sudibyo Markus, the head of Muhammadiyah, arrived in Israel last week on an official visit to establish cooperation between his organisation and MDA. Official visits between Indonesia and Israel are rare as the countries do not have diplomatic ties.

Muhammadiyah is the oldest and largest Islamic social welfare organisation in the world, established in 1912. It is a moderate, faith-based group with a mandate to improve civil society, serve the poor, and promote tolerance and pluralism. Muhammadiyah operates dozens of clinics, hospitals, orphanages, schools and universities in Indonesia. It has over 28 million members and has been recognised by the Indonesian government and by international organisations.

Markus was the guest of honour at the signing ceremony of a preliminary agreement of cooperation signed by the chairman of the Indonesian Rescue and Emergency Service, Professor Aryono Pusponegoro, also of the Indonesian College of Surgeons; the chairman of MDA's Board of Directors, Dr Noam Ifrach, and MDA Director-General Eli Bin. Pusponegoro said, "I am 76 years old, and delighted that I have succeeded in fulfilling my childhood dream of coming to Israel."

The agreement was witnessed by Markus, the highest Indonesian official ever to visit Israel, who told The Jakarta Post that "Muhammadiyah is interested in such a program."
Ifrach explained, "We hope that by the signing of this agreement between MDA and Indonesia, cooperation will be expanded to other fields. We expect that it will strengthen bilateral relations on all levels."

Knowledge sharing
Once a final agreement is signed, a delegation of EMS experts from MDA will head out for Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. They will share knowledge in EMS and the establishment of work protocols for the Indonesian health system to be implemented by Indonesian medical teams.

The practical and managerial knowledge will be implemented by internationally recognised MDA specialists. The Indonesians will share their experience in preparing for, and responding to, natural disasters.

Sudibyo told The Jakarta Post that his visit was also intended to promote "interfaith dialogue" and that the visit would not have happened, had MDA not been recognised as an equal member of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In 2005, MDA was accepted into the ranks of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This acceptance entitled MDA to various grants and expanded the universality of the society’s international humanitarian activities worldwide, strengthening the cooperation among all members.

###

* This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) with permission from Israel 21c.

Source: Israel 21c, 11 November 2008, www.israel21c.net.
Copyright permission is granted for publication.


	ELIAV-SARTAWI AWARDS Call for Submissions!


	FEATURED VIDEO Encounter Point’s theatrical trailor follows a group of Israelis and Palestinians who, despite their difficult and often traumatic personal pasts, including the loss of loved ones in the conflict, engage each other in dialogue.


	SPECIAL SERIES Muslims and Jews in each other’s religious narratives.