As families unwrap presents in Britain, thousands of miles away NHS medics will perform Christmas miracles — helping to preserve life in a place scarred by death. The brave quartet are spending Yule in war-torn Gaza working for a British charity which runs two makeshift hospitals. But while people across the nation enjoy precious time with loved ones at home, their Christmas Day in the stricken enclave will start with an 8am meeting before two of them then go on a surgical ward round.
Another will head to the emergency department and the fourth to the charity’s second field hospital. Dr Matthew Newport, an NHS anaesthetist from Ramsbottom, is on a month-long stint in Gaza with UK-Med until early January — his fifth deployment in just a year.
Matthew, 37, said: “Being away from family at Christmas is an active choice, but there’s no pressure or guilt and I am happy to be here continuing to work alongside our phenomenal Palestinian staff as they work tirelessly under seemingly unending difficulties. As for family and friends it has been harder each time with my daughter, who at first was so young she didn’t really understand I was away any more than if I had gone to my NHS hospital for a longer time than usual. Now she’s very much aware and has grasped the idea of ‘helping poorly people’... I am confident I can make things up to her in Christmases to come.”.
He explained: “Usually, Christmas in Lancashire is presents at home, then church and a relaxed (and food heavy!) afternoon with the wider family. Often one of either my wife or I will be working some combination of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day but we usually get a decent bit of time with the wider family in peace and relaxation.”.
