Women Doctors on the Frontlines of Lebanon’s Health Crisis
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Since the 10-day ceasefire took effect in Lebanon on 16 April – later extended for an additional 3 weeks- following 45 days of intense hostilities, the already fragile health system remains under severe strain. Ongoing displacement, shortages of medical supplies, and deepening psychological distress continue to overwhelm services.
Dr. Marie El Ghosh, a pediatrician and mother of three, continues to provide critical care amid crisis in Lebanon, balancing her responsibilities to patients and family under immense pressure. Photo: UN Women/Georges Rouko
“I leave my children to care for other people’s children,” says Dr. Marie El Ghosh, 36, a pediatrician and mother of three. “They are still following online schooling, and my husband, a university professor, is also teaching from home.”
Originally from Barja and now living in Burjein, Dr. El Ghosh is among the many health workers sustaining care through the conflict. She describes medicine not simply as a profession, but as a responsibility that has become even more urgent in wartime conditions.
Since March 2, according to the World Health Organization, access to essential health services has been significantly disrupted, with 56 primary healthcare centres forced to close.
Although active hostilities have eased, humanitarian needs continue to grow as many displaced families, after checking on their houses in the targeted areas, have returned to overcrowded shelters with no viable alternatives, placing additional strain on an already overstretched system.
At the Bishop Maroun Al Ammar Primary Health Care Centre in Barja, the pressure is visible every day. Mothers arrive carrying sick children and newborns, visibly exhausted, seeking care in a system operating beyond its capacity.
Dr Ghosh works across two primary healthcare centres in Barja “The centres are always full,” she says. “We have had to stretch beyond our limits many times.”
Dr. Marie El Ghosh is among the many women health workers sustaining care in Lebanon, navigating rising needs and limited resources in an overstretched health system.Photo: UN Women/Georges Roukoz
Daily consultations have surged, including urgent cases among newborns. Yet shortages remain critical.
“I can diagnose and prescribe,” she explains, “but many medicines are not available. Infant formula, diapers and basic hygiene items are all scarce”.
Women doctors- who make up an estimated 25-30 per cent of registered physicians in Lebanon according to the Lebanese Order of Physicians- are playing a vital role in sustaining healthcare, particularly for women and children in shelters and primary healthcare centres. They are on the frontlines where demand is greatest—especially for maternal, child, and psychosocial services—needs that are largely met by women health workers.
Frontline responders reported cases of women giving birth in highly precarious conditions. Dr. El Ghosh often sees pregnant women and new mothers lacking even the most basic necessities. She recalls one case “Fatima, 37 from Aita al-Shaab, arrived with her newborn and two-year-old son in severe distress. She needed urgent psychological support before we could even treat the children.” Fatima is currently living in a tent within a school confronting displacement, limited resources, and uncertainty.
Other cases reflect similar struggles. Maryam, 32, a pregnant woman who returned south to find the family house destroyed was forced back into a shelter. She asked repeatedly “How can I deliver my baby in these conditions? Where should I go?”
“In many cases” Dr. El Ghosh says: “The most urgent needs go beyond food and water.”
Across Lebanon, destruction has forced families into displacement, with women and girls bearing the heaviest burden, facing heightened risks, limited access to services, and growing uncertainty. Photo: UN Women/Georges Roukoz - Beirut (8 April)
Poor shelter conditions are driving a rise in infections and compounding health risks for women and children are also increasing. Psychological distress is also growing. Dr El Ghosh says, “More children are showing signs of trauma, including psychological regression, and loss of bladder control”.
For families with children with autism or developmental conditions, overcrowded shelters and instability are further disrupting care and routines.
She describes particularly difficult moments “The hardest moments {for health workers} are when you are searching for a loved one after an airstrike, and then you must return to work because patients are waiting.”
Despite the strain, women health workers remain central to the response - treating, listening, and supporting- Dr Ghosh says that even with the 10-day ceasefire in place, improbability persists “I live between two realities, caring for my patients while also caring for my children under the same uncertainty”
“I graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic, started working during the economic collapse, and now I am living through a second war in just two years,” she explains. “I am still searching for a sense of normal life.”
This experience has changed Dr. El Ghosh, she made her more aware of her responsibilities towards her family and her patients.
She says, “After every crisis, we try to find hope again. Not a day passes without asking: should we stay, or leave? Both decisions are difficult”.