MDA EMT and Instructor Saves a Teacher's Who Was Choking During a first aid training session for 10th-grade students at a high school in Jaffa, a medical emergency occurred when a teacher entered the classroom choking on food she had eaten.
Batya Tugendhaft, a new immigrant from London, an EMT, and a first aid instructor serving in the national service at Magen David Adom (MDA), acted quickly, recognized the critical situation, and performed the Heimlich maneuver on her. Thanks to Batya’s swift and professional response, the food was expelled from the teacher’s throat, and her life was saved.
Batya recounted after the incident:
"The moment I saw the teacher struggling to breathe, I immediately followed the protocol I had learned at MDA. I'm glad I was there to help and prevent a disaster."
Magen David Adom praised Batya’s resourcefulness and emphasized the importance of first aid training for the general public.
