Surgeon Returns to Gaza for 4th Mission Despite PTSD

Despite developing PTSD from his previous missions, Australian orthopaedic surgeon Herwig Drobetz packed his bags this week and returned to Gaza for the fourth time.

Dr. Drobetz, who directs the trauma unit at Lismore Base Hospital in northern New South Wales, first worked in Gaza in 2024 as a Red Cross medic. That experience changed him forever.

"The first time a bomb dropped nearby, I was lying under my bed," he recalls. The building shook, ceiling tiles fell, and sometimes gunfights broke out just 50 meters away while he operated in a tent.

The constant stress led to PTSD, a diagnosis he carries with him today. But it hasn't stopped him from answering the call to help.

Now working in a paid capacity for the International Committee of the Red Cross at Rafah Field Hospital, Dr. Drobetz joins 14 international medical staff working alongside Palestinian medics. The work is intense and never really stops, according to ICRC spokesperson Pat Griffiths.

The need remains dire even after a ceasefire took effect last October. Sixty percent of Gaza's population is homeless after 24 months of conflict, and the medical system is at breaking point.

Dr. Drobetz says the most challenging cases now are the thousands of people living with amputated limbs, infections, and wound complications who need highly complex operations. The hospital grounds are filled with patients requiring post-operative care, yet resources remain scarce.

"There's no X-ray, there's no MRI, there's no CT scan, there's no implants," he explains. Working with almost nothing has become his specialty.

Why This Inspires

Dr. Drobetz knew since his days as a junior doctor that he wanted to work in conflict zones. What makes his story remarkable isn't just his medical skill, but his honest acknowledgment of the toll this work takes combined with his choice to return anyway.

He could have stayed home in safety, focusing solely on his demanding role at Lismore Base Hospital. Instead, he's choosing to use his expertise where it's needed most, fully aware of the psychological cost.

His willingness to face his fears and return to help thousands of people who have nowhere else to turn shows the difference one committed person can make. While international attention has shifted elsewhere, Dr. Drobetz reminds us that the people of Gaza still need help, and he's showing up to provide it.

One surgeon's courage continues to bring healing to a place that desperately needs it.