An anaesthetist working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has provided a firsthand account of the escalating medical crisis in Gaza, describing overwhelming patient numbers, severe injuries, and critical shortages of supplies. Dr. Birsen Gaskell, who recently served in Gaza, highlighted the dire conditions facing both patients and healthcare workers amid ongoing conflict.

Upon arrival, Dr. Gaskell was confronted with crowded streets marked by fear and the sound of bombardment. At the MSF hospital, medical teams were treating an overwhelming number of trauma and burn victims, many of them children. The facility saw approximately 180 patients daily, surpassing its capacity to conduct all necessary surgeries in properly equipped operating theatres. As a result, some procedures had to be performed on wards with limited resources.

Dr. Gaskell emphasized the critical role of anaesthesia in surgical care and expressed alarm over reported incidents where patients underwent operations without adequate anaesthetic support due to supply shortages. She described the situation as both "barbaric" and "inhumane," reflecting the profound challenges faced by medical personnel.

Among the patients was a nine-year-old girl who suffered severe facial injuries after her home was bombed, losing part of her jaw and surviving along with her mother as the sole survivors of their family. Dr. Gaskell provided ongoing wound care and antibiotic treatment for the child, underscoring the absence of reconstructive surgery options in Gaza that could improve her long-term recovery.

Malnutrition was also prevalent, particularly among children, complicating post-operative care and healing. Dr. Gaskell noted that adequate nutrition is essential for tissue repair after surgery, a condition unattainable in the context of widespread food shortages.

Despite the harrowing circumstances, the MSF hospital remained a place of relative stability and calm. Dr. Gaskell praised the resilience of local healthcare staff, many of whom had lost family members and were living in tents but continued to deliver care daily.

She concluded by stressing the growing medical needs in Gaza and the critical importance of MSF’s work amid escalating violence. The experiences relayed by Dr. Gaskell highlight the immense strain on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure and the urgent need for sustained medical support amidst continuing conflict.