UK GP shares her experiences of working in war-torn Gaza

Dr Shahana Moitra went to Gaza in August 2025 working with UK-Med, a charity that ensures international locations have entry to healthcare if they’ve been hit by pure disasters or wars. IT was her third seven-week go to to the nation, having been in March 2025 and April 2024.

The GP of 20 years instructed GPonline that what she noticed on her third go to was ‘was even worse’ than the earlier two as a result of support had not been allowed into the nation since March 2025. This time she noticed malnourishment, extra diseases on account of poor dwelling circumstances, a six-month outdated child who died from a treatable sickness and one girl breaking down and screaming: ‘Why isn’t the world doing extra?’

Regardless of the horrors and the bombs cascading close to the hospital – a supposed protected zone – Dr Moitra plans to return to Gaza subsequent yr to assist her Palestinian and worldwide colleagues of their efforts managing the nation’s healthcare.

Rationing treatment

Dr Moitra had at all times needed to participate in humanitarian work and UK-Med first appeared on her radar when Russia invaded Ukraine. Fulfilling the factors of needing a minimum of 10 years’ expertise and following the applying course of and coaching, Dr Moitra was first deployed to Turkey shortly after the 2023 earthquake. She later went to Libya when there have been floods in September 2023.

On her first deployment to Gaza in April 2024, Dr Moitra was a part of a workforce of healthcare professionals charged with organising a major care facility – referred to as a sort one hospital – in simply two days. Shortly, the power was seeing an estimated 300 sufferers a day, which has now grown to roughly 500 sufferers a day. The kind one hospital, staffed by roughly 44 healthcare professionals together with nurses and pharmacists, usually noticed individuals with pores and skin infections, respiratory infections and shrapnel wounds.

March 2025 was the second time Dr Moitra was deployed to Gaza. The scientific workforce needed to begin rationing treatment as a result of convoys had been prevented from getting into the nation. She mentioned: ‘We had been seeing individuals with chest infections and [in England] you’d give them 5 days price of antibiotics, however in Gaza we had been giving two days, most three.’

Particulars of the third journey had been much more harrowing. Dr Moitra mentioned: ‘Every time I’ve gone again there’s a lack of treatment. IT’s been heartbreaking.’ The state of affairs grew to become so dire that healthcare workers needed to resolve who to prioritise for treatment. ‘IT’s a really laborious factor to do. However you clarify IT to the affected person, they perceive that everybody is attempting their finest,’ she mentioned.

Why isn’t the world doing extra?

Dr Moitra added: ‘This August we noticed our nationwide [Palestinian] workers had visibly misplaced a lot weight. We had been additionally seeing many sufferers who had signs from their dwelling circumstances. The poverty, the displacement, they’re getting repeated infections as a result of they’re dwelling with out clear water or electrical energy. There have been many challenges, in addition to malnutrition.

‘One girl got here in, broke down, screamed at me and mentioned: “I’ve nothing. I’ve no place to reside, no tent, no cash, no meals. Why isn’t the world doing extra?” I actually had no reply. I solely had a listening ear. I bear in mind her coming again two weeks later with an higher respiratory tract an infection and he or she got here and mentioned sorry for shouting and thanks for being right here. That’s so humbling.

‘Then in the identical week, a six-month outdated child was introduced in and he or she was lifeless on arrival. The household had fled from the north after the mass evacuation orders. The kid had died of gastroenteritis, completely preventable in regular circumstances, however IT was too late for us to do something.’

Dr Moitra additionally seen stark modifications outdoors her work. She mentioned: ‘In April [2024], I noticed a great deal of kites being flown among the many bombing and smoke. The kids had been constructing kites with plastic luggage. However in August, there was nothing – no kites.

A misplaced childhood

‘The roads are crammed with displaced households. What’s heartbreaking is seeing the youngsters fetching water or promoting items as an alternative of being at school. A lot of their childhood has been taken away. There’s a lot chaos.’

Though the vast majority of her time was centered on major care, Dr Moitra did spend in the future at Nasser Hospital. She mentioned: ‘I had by no means witnessed accidents like this in my 25 years of medication. There have been sufferers with gunshot wounds throughout their our bodies, and others with traumatic accidents from mass casualty incidents.’

Did Dr Moitra really feel protected whereas in Gaza? ‘UK-Med retains us protected. I’m as protected as protected will be. We’re purported to be in a de-conflicted space, however the bombs had been fairly shut. Drones had been fixed throughout the evening,’ she mentioned. 

She added: ‘Each time I depart, I really feel unhappy and hopeful. Unhappy for what they’ve misplaced and hope that in the future they will reclaim their lives again. The groups hold going, decided to serve the group. I’ve by no means witnessed such resilience nor hardship of this magnitude. When you may have been as soon as, it’s important to return and stand with them.’

For extra Information on UK-Med, go to https://www.uk-med.org/.