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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Health
Damon Cronshaw

'Asset to Australia': Much-loved emergency doctor escapes Gaza war zone

Dr Modher Albeiruti with a young patient in Gaza. Picture supplied

A doctor who volunteered in Gaza and became trapped in the war zone has been evacuated.

Dr Modher Albeiruti did his medical training at John Hunter Hospital and now works as an emergency physician in Wollongong and Fairfield.

He went to Gaza as a volunteer with the Palestinian American Medical Association on a two-week mission.

Dr Mohammad Irhimeh, of the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association, said "we've managed to evacuate him".

"He's currently in Jordan," Dr Irhimeh.

Dr Modher Albeiruti (third from right) in Gaza with colleagues and (inset) with a young patient. Pictures supplied

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was "not really helpful at all".

"The whole process was facilitated by the Jordanian government and king."

A DFAT spokesperson said on Tuesday night that it was "providing consular assistance to an Australian in Gaza."

Newcastle Muslim Association president Bikash Paul said Dr Albeiruti was "a good and very nice person".

"He did his training in Newcastle. His mother tongue is Arabic but he speaks very fluent English," Mr Paul said.

"He's an asset to Australia. He's a very good doctor."

Dr Modher Albeiruti (left) with a patient in Gaza. Picture supplied

Dr Albeiruti had been in a team of 15 medical volunteers in Gaza that included nine Jordanians, and others from the US, UK and Egypt.

"He was very much relieved last night when he arrived in Jordan. They were met by the Jordanian army and intelligence," Dr Irhimeh said.

"The Jordanians received him very well."

He had been "working non-stop for 19 days".

"They don't sleep. You can't leave the trauma patients and go to sleep because they could die. It's so hard."

The evacuation was a "deal between the Jordanian government and Israelis".

"They went through from the Rafah border crossing in Gaza into Israel," he said.

"The Jordanian army and a bus was waiting for them and they drove through a corridor into Jordanian territory."

He was supposed to be in Gaza only from May 1 to 13.

"Due to the Israeli invasion of Rafah on May 6 and the occupation of the border, they couldn't get out."

He said the medical volunteers were in Gaza "under the United Nations and WHO (World Health Organisation) umbrella".

"That's how we send the medical missions. It's a complex process to get medical personnel into Gaza. It takes a lot of effort," said Dr Irhimeh, who oversees the missions.

"The medical missions in Gaza rotate twice a week. Each group is 10 to 20 people."

Dr Irhimeh worked as an emergency physician at the Gaza European Hospital, dealing with trauma cases.

"He's an Australian citizen on a humanitarian mission, volunteered his time and risked his life to go save lives and received no support from DFAT.

"I contacted them on Friday when I had significant fears for his life and they said to contact them on Monday because they are closed."

Dr Irhimeh said Dr Albeiruti should be recognised for his efforts in Gaza on his return to Australia.

"We'd like to show him some support."

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