Maisara Al Rayyes: doctor and Chevening scholar, who was committed to improving health in Gaza
BMJ 2024; 384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q123 (Published 18 January 2024) Cite this as: BMJ 2024;384:q123
- Matt Limb
- Croydon, UK
- mattlimb.uk{at}gmail.com
Credit: British Consulate General, Jerusalem
Palestinian doctor Maisara Al Rayyes was an inspirational young health leader who was committed to improving health among his community in Gaza, where he was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Al Rayyes, an emergency doctor and medical supervisor who worked for Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) for two years from October 2021, died, aged 28, when his home in Gaza was hit on 5 November 2023.
He worked extensively with community based, government, and non-government organisations in Gaza and had researched the impact of conflict on patients and doctors. He also worked in obstetrics and gynaecology at Al Shifa medical complex.
An outstanding medical student, Al Rayyes studied at Al-Azhar University Gaza and was president of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFSMA) in Gaza (2016-17).
As a project coordinator for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (2017-2019), he led the training of medical students to become life saving first aid instructors and gain skills to act in emergency situations.
Time in the UK
In the UK he undertook a masters in women and children’s health at King’s College London (2019-20) on the prestigious Chevening scholarship programme run by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
“It …
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