Bilqis Abu ‘Awad, 23, from Bukata, began volunteering at Magen David Adom (MDA) at the age of 16 as a youth volunteer. Today she is a paramedic and a volunteer ambulance driver in MDA in the Golan Heights. She is currently riding an MDA motorcycle.
In a festive ceremony with the participation of the head of the Jordan Valley region, MDA Director General Oren Avitan, and the head of the Jordan Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicles Division, Dudu Berger, the motorcycle was inaugurated with the help of Bilquis.
In our community, it is hard to accept the idea that a woman will drive on a motorcycle or even an ambulance, and will treat patients 24 hours a day. “I feel that beyond the mission of caring for the sick and wounded and saving lives, I also have a mission as a medic, an ambulance driver and now also driving a motorcycle on Magen David Adom, Israel’s national rescue organization,” said medic Bilquis Abu Awad who now rides the motorcycle, I am very proud to be the first Druze biker in MDA. I call on other girls from the Druze villages to join the organization, I believe that I am the first Druze woman who comes to save a life on an MDA motorcycle, but not the last one. ”
Buqa’ata local council head Abbas Abu’ Awad said: “I had the honor to participate in the ceremony and to congratulate the first Druze woman in Israel who is riding an MDA motorcycle to save lives. We have dozens of volunteers in MDA, and I am very proud of this and thank MDA for their cooperation and for the medical care they provide in our region.
“The event at the Buqa’ata local council was very moving. The issue of reducing the response times in the periphery, which is made possible thanks to the unique tools used by the organization and the volunteers in the various communities, enables saving lives at any time and place. ”
“I congratulate Bilquis, the first Druze rider in the organization, who is a pioneer, motivated and willing to help and save lives. All this, with its deep familiarity with the northern Golan Heights, with an emphasis on the area of Massadeh, Buqa’ata, Ein Kaniya and Majdal Shams. This is a significant force to shorten the response times in the region. ”
“Bilquis Abu Awad is one of many women who break through with Magen David Adom,” said Eli Bin, MDA Director General, “The sense of mission and commitment to saving Bilquis life at an early age is admirable and we congratulate her for joining the Magen David red”.
Magen David Adom operates around 30 motorcycles in the Jordan area, alongside ambulances and intensive care vehicles. In addition to this, MDA’s unique tools are operating in the area, such as ambulances and electric bikes, and with the help of all these vehicles, and with the help of 1,400 MDA volunteers in the Jordanian region, efforts are constantly being made to improve the response times and arrival times of paramedics and paramedics those who need medical treatment.
