At the request of the Norwegian Association of the Disabled, a quick evaluation of the performance of the Palestinian emergency medical services during and immediately after the Massacre which took place in Hebron (February 1994) was carried out. Three main issues were examined: communication and cooperation between different EMS providers, on site and en-route provision of first aid to the injured and the main deficiencies in terms of facilities, equipment and EMS personnel.
Results of the evaluation indicate that communication between EMS providers was almost completely absent and the level (in terms of quality and quantity) of first aid provision was not up to standard. The main deficiency, at the national level, was not the lack of equipment or medications as much as the complete absence of a national system of coordination and communication for handling such situations. A number of short term suggestions are presented for improving the readiness of the Palestinian health care system to deal with and successfully manage such emergency situations in the future.