The Frontline Shift

After two years of conflict, only half of Gaza's primary health care centres remain functional. In this episode of the Frontline Shift, health workers from UKMed — an Emergency Medical Team working in coordination with WHO in Gaza since January 2024 — share what it has taken to keep primary health care going under relentless pressure. They discuss the immense challenges of operating with critical supply shortages, maintaining continuity of care for displaced populations, and reaching communities in areas with little to no functioning health infrastructure. Primary health care is the entry point into the health system. Keeping it functioning is not just about treating illness, it is about restoring trust, dignity, and the foundations of a resilient health system for the people of Gaza.

After two years of conflict, more than 42,000 people in Gaza are living with potentially life-changing injuries, including over 5,000 amputations and thousands of spinal cord injuries, burns, and complex limb injuries. In this episode of Frontline Shift, health workers from NORWAC — an emergency medical team working in coordination with WHO in the Gaza Strip since February 2024 — alongside a WHO rehabilitation specialist, discuss the urgent needs, gaps, and challenges in expanding access to physical rehabilitation services. They share how the lack of functioning services and essential assistive devices is affecting patients' recovery, independence, and quality of life. While some progress is underway, with WHO and Emergency Medical Teams working to restore and expand rehabilitation services, strengthen referral pathways, and train and support the health workforce, the scale of needs remains immense. With much of Gaza's rehabilitation infrastructure damaged or non-operational, and many professionals killed or displaced, rebuilding services requires coordination, sustained investment, and reliable access to supplies. Rehabilitation is not a luxury — it is essential to recovery, dignity, and long-term resilience.

Episode 1: Patient Evacuation During Conflict In this episode of The Frontline Shift, health workers from CADUS, an emergency medical team (EMT) working in coordination with the World Health Organization in Gaza since February 2024, share experiences from the field. The episode examines the challenges of patient transfers during conflict, including internal transfers from unsafe hospitals to facilities offering relative safety, medical evacuations via the Kerem Shalom Crossing for treatment abroad, and emergency response to mass casualty incidents during food distribution. Drawing on firsthand experience, CADUS team members highlight the challenges of access constraints, equipment shortages, and prolonged delays, offering practical insight into what it takes to move patients safely and sustain care in an active conflict setting.