Abigail Klein Leichman
November 25, 2018

The governor of the Tucumán province of Argentina came to Israel to sign an agreement strengthening operational cooperation between Tucumán’s Health Ministry and Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency response and blood services network.

The governor, Dr. Juan Luis Manzur, is a surgeon. He and a delegation of Argentinean scientists, professors and physicians met with MDA Blood Services Director Dr. Eilat Shinar and expressed interest in an information and technology exchange.

They toured the MDA National Dispatch Center in the Tel Aviv suburb of Kiryat Ono and expressed their admiration for the advanced technologies being used for operations, laboratories and blood services.

Tucumán Governor Dr. Juan Manzur, in red tie, and his delegation listening to a presentation by MDA Blood Services Director Dr. Eilat Shinar. Photo: courtesy

Shinar called Manzur “an avid fan of Israel” and said he was especially interested in adopting MDA approaches to encouraging people to donate blood through drives held in community centers, schools, workplaces, shopping malls, synagogues, churches, mosques “and any other place where you can teach the public to contribute to emergency preparedness.”

Manzur said, “There is no greater act of love than contributing blood, because it means giving what cannot be purchased. Blood saves lives, as Prof. Shinar said, and we came here to learn and take lessons home from MDA.”

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