Immanuel Fleischer
IsraelSeen Exclusive – Helping Others Is What Life Is All About
EMT Responds To Cardiac Arrest At Medical Clinic and Saves a Life
Jerusalem – On Sunday afternoon, a man in his 70s had just finished a medical checkup at the MAR Institute on Rav Kook Street and was heading outside when he suddenly collapsed near the exit of the building. The medical staff at the center called emergency services attached a defibrillator and initiated CPR.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Immanuel Fleischer, was at his home on the nearby Strauss Street in Jerusalem when he received the alert to the emergency. He grabbed his vest and medical equipment and ran downstairs to his motorcycle. Stowing his equipment, he rushed over to the institute and was the first volunteer EMT at the scene, having arrived in less than two minutes.
“When I arrived, I saw that the medical team was in the middle of performing CPR and I joined their efforts. I took over performing compressions from one of the medical staff who then connected the patient to oxygen and began assisted ventilation. The collapsed man received two shocks from the defibrillator and we returned to performing compressions. After a few minutes, the man’s pulse returned. We stopped compressions and just continued assisted breathing while we waited for the mobile intensive care ambulance. Once they arrived we loaded the patient on board and sent him to the hospital.”
Fleischer said that since he lives in the heart of the city he receives emergency alerts all the time. “It is rarely a quiet day for me. I get called to emergencies all the time due to where I live. Rescues like this one, where I assisted in saving a person’s life leaves me with an emotional high that sometimes can last an entire week. I don’t know this fellow at all, but I was a part of saving his life. Now if I meet him on the street I will definitely say hello. This is what we do, and this is why I did the training, in order to save the lives of the people in close proximity to me, whether I know them or not. Helping others is what life is all about and I am happy that I was able to play a part in saving this man’s life today.”
