Syria: Meet the nurses

04 Jul 2024

Of the more than 69,000 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff in 2023, many thousands are nurses. Here, four MSF nurses from northwest Syria share a bit about their experiences: what a good day looks like, stories from their work, and some of the challenges they have overcome. 

Raghdaa Al-Khatib

Raghdaa Al-Khatib, MSF nurse. © Abdulrahman  Sadeq/MSF

Raghdaa Al-Khatib

My name is Raghdaa Al-Khatib, and I have been working as a nurse with MSF for seven years. When we help patients, I feel a sense of hope and life. Days go by, and for me, a good day is when I am close to those in need of medical care. I am very happy to be part of the nursing team at MSF in northwest Syria.

There is a day when I felt the opposite of this feeling; I panicked and felt scared, it was on February 6th, the day of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, one of the hardest days I have experienced during my nursing career because there was a lot of casualties.

In my daily work as a nurse the vital signs monitor is one of the medical devices, I use the most because one of my tasks in the mobile clinic is to measure the patient's vital signs.

As the most senior nurse, I want to be known among my colleagues as their mother who always stood by their side.

Malek Yahya

Malek Yahya, MSF nurse. © Abdulrahman Sadeq/MSF

Malek Yahya

My name is Malek Yahya, and I have been a nurse with MSF since 2012.

The happiest day in my career was when I received news of the opening of a field hospital for MSF in the town of Atmeh, northwest Syria. People were suffering due to the absence of hospitals in the area.

During my work as a nurse, we received a woman in the emergency department who was injured because of shelling. Her injuries were severe, and we knew she would die soon. I will never forget those moments when I saw her children around her and she was saying goodbye to them, a memory that will stay with me forever.

I feel very happy when preparing an intravenous catheter(cannula) for a patient; I feel that through it, life is given to the patient.

I hope I would be known as someone who treats others kindly, with a cheerful demeanour and integrity. 
 

Ahmad Shaikh Mohammad

Ahmad Shaikh Mohammad, MSF nurse. © Abdulrahman Sadeq/MSF

Ahmad Shaikh Mohammad

My name is Ahmad Shaikh Mohammad, I am 37 years old, and I have been working as a nurse with MSF since 2012.

The most beautiful days during my nursing career were when I was selected as a nurse in the intensive care unit established after the earthquake on February 6th, 2023. The feeling of confidence pushed me to be at the forefront of my work even during my break time.

I will never forget the day when I lost my relatives when they arrived at the hospital injured due to a car accident while they were evacuating towards safe areas. The number of injured was large, and I did not recognize them due to their severe injuries.

The Oxygen Concentrator is one of the medical devices I use the most. In our line of work in the burns unit, when a patient is admitted, they must be placed on this device for at least 48 hours.

I hope to be known as a dedicated worker, a source of happiness for my colleagues, and someone with a cheerful spirit.

Tareq Al-Mohammad

Tareq Al-Mohammad, MSF nurse. © Abdulrahman Sadeq/MSF 

Tareq Al-Mohammad

My name is Tareq Al-Mohammad, and I have been working with MSF for five years. I started my career as a nurse, then worked as a nursing team supervisor in MSF project in northern Aleppo.

The best days for me are those when I witness the results of our hard work; I feel satisfied and draw my strength from it. For example, the opening day of the Marea Maternity Hospital was one of the best days I have experienced during my work with MSF. After the tremendous effort that my colleagues and I put into the project, the hospital was finally opened.

One of the hardest days I have experienced was on February 9th, 2020, a day I will never forget, due to the large wave of displacement as a result of war reaching Idlib areas. It was extremely cold, and there were thousands of displaced people. We worked for long hours to meet some of the medical and logistical needs.

I hope to be known in MSF as friend who was there to help at any time.