Gaza doctors struggle with trauma, bereavement and overwork amid war

Healthcare workers in Gaza are enduring severe psychological trauma, heavy workloads, and personal bereavement as a result of the ongoing war that began in October 2023. Many medical personnel have faced the harrowing reality of treating wounded patients while simultaneously grieving the loss of close family members, colleagues, and friends at their own workplaces.

Manar Fayyad, a 29-year-old anaesthesiologist at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, suffered profound psychological distress after discovering that a critically injured man brought into his operating room was his 34-year-old brother, Shadi, who had been killed in an air strike. Unable to continue working at the hospital, Fayyad ultimately ended his professional career and has struggled with the trauma on his own, withdrawing from social life and finding solace only by writing by the sea.

Similarly, Khaled Raafat, a 29-year-old emergency department nurse at the same hospital, stepped away from his duties for an extended period after losing his wife, children, mother, and several siblings in an October 2023 air strike while he was at work trying to save others. After deciding to work toward his recovery and starting a new family, he eventually returned to the hospital. Nurse Hiba al-Tawil, 39, faced a similar ordeal when her brother died in the intensive care unit where she worked at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, later transferring to a different department to cope with the pressure.

Medical personnel in Gaza face severe trauma and bereavement while striving to save lives.

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, at least 1,700 medical personnel have been killed in attacks during the conflict, and 83 healthcare workers remain in detention. Official studies and reports indicate that a significant portion of medical workers have experienced personal bereavement and workplace displacement, while roughly 78 percent lack access to mental health services. Munir al-Bursh, director general of the Ministry of Health, noted that staff are caught between their professional duty and their personal grief, warning that protecting medical personnel requires safeguarding their mental health and providing adequate rest rather than just securing medicines and equipment.

Why it matters

The crisis within Gaza's medical sector highlights the immense toll of the conflict on healthcare providers, many of whom lack adequate psychological support and rest. This ongoing strain affects the stability and capacity of the entire healthcare system as it struggles to retain remaining staff and prevent a severe brain drain.