Israel 15,
July 17, 2026,
Hi Everyone,
Today was my last day with MDA so to celebrate the achievement I am at my usual Friday late pm activity at the laundromat. The chief of my station thanked me profusely and awarded me with a blue, warm, down like synthetic jacket. The jacket is probably warn here in the winter. It has a beautiful MDA emblem on the back which will be a hit on the ski slopes in the spring. A picture of my book, front and back cover is pinned onto the general notice board for all to see.
Yesterday afternoon I spoke at length with the police man. He comes from a religious family and has 9 children and 37 grandchildren and great grandchildren. He acknowledged that he knew all of their names but not their birthdays. He considered it to be his wife’s work.
The driver of the ambulance just finished his medical school training and was doing a rotating internship. In Canada and the US we have done away with the internship so students go directly into a residency with specialization. I did an internship as I was trained in France. I think that it is better as it gives the student time to pass through several specialities before making a final decision.
He also explained the medical system to me. Every Israeli must have a GP by law. The GP may be in his own office or attached to a local clinic. These clinics function like mini ERs. They can do a general work-up and treat the patient or refer him/her to a specialist or the ER. They call an ambulance if there is a real emergency. Patients have medical coverage similar to our Medicare system. If a patient presents himself to the ER without a referral, he will be charged a fee. This explains the reason there are so few patients in the ER. When we arrive with a patient in an ambulance, the patient is seen by a nurse and physician immediately. It is a very efficient system.
The 1st patient of the day was a 90 year woman living with her children. She usually can not walk well but today woke up with a stroke. We did the usual and then transported her to hospital.
We then had a flat tire and wasted 2 hours at a garage.
The 2nd patient was a tourist in the Hilton Hotel. She had some tingling in her arms which was probably due to anxiety. We did an EKG. Neither the patient nor us felt that an ER visit was necessary so we left her with instructions. The Hilton has a huge luxurious lobby and an endless swimming pool. We stayed here for a conference 10 years ago. However the corridors are narrow and the ceilings are low. The room which we visited was tiny. I am sure that the hotel is very expensive. While waiting, I spoke to 2 French ladies about the situation in France for Jews. They said it is very bad and they are all worried. The left, with Mélançon, has a large Muslim following and is openly antisemitic. Macron does nothing to stabilize the situation. The right may be the better choice for Jews at the present time. Many are afraid and are thinking about leaving.
The 3rd patient had a history of COPD and had chest pain. She had a pacemaker making the EKG difficult to interpret. We stabilized her and brought her to Sheba.
The 4th patient was 101 years old. He had a fever of 39.5C and looked very tired. He had a lady from India living with him 24 hours a day in order to give him full care. His daughter paid for the care. The apartment was very poor. The man had many diplomas and was a veteran on the 1948 War of Independence. The lady had been in Israel for 2.5 years and will stay for another 2.5 years. She was married and had 2 children probably being raised by the grandparents. When she returns home she will have saved enough to buy a home. I have seen this pattern many times both here and in the UAE.
I was over 30C today with a lot of humidity in spite of the blue ski. It is Shabbat this evening so all of the stores close early and will stay closed tomorrow. There is only a skeleton bus service available which is free for the user. When my laundry is finished, I will drop it off t the hotel and perhaps treat myself to a fish dinner.
Love,
Brian
gobriantravel 