Médecins Sans Frontières - REPORT: Social Worker in Gaza Clinic (ENG)

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF264866

Date taken / Date Recorded 05/03/2019 12:00 AM

Country Palestinian Territories

Commissioning section MSF-FRANCE

Photographer / videographer / producer Simon Rolin

Copyright MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★★★ (C)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m58s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 296.00 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist MSF Clinic
Gaza City

Murad Al Hallaq - MSF Social Worker

Social workers in the MSF clinics in Gaza
play many roles.
They facilitate MSF’s work and help solve problems faced by patients either among themselves or with the medical team.

MSF teams in Gaza include
7 social workers dedicated
to health promotion and social support

When we arrive in the morning, we start by observing the patients to know who shows signs of depression, who is silent, who cries, who screams... All those patients need our intervention as social workers to calm them down and provide them with awareness sessions, and social and health education. We also provide them with psychological support in an attempt to help them adapt to their new life.
The main issue is the economic factor. It impacts the psychological and social dimension. Because the patient probably used to work and earn money guaranteeing him a decent life and allowing him to provide for him and for his family. Since his injury, his disability prevents him from working and providing the basics.

The vulnerability of patients
is severely worsened
by the extent of the injuries

Every day in our Gaza clinic, problems happen either among the patients themselves or with the medical team due to a kind of misunderstanding or misconception. These problems require the social workers’ intervention to help solve them and to give information to patients.
It is a skill that every social worker should possess to be able to deal with different mentalities and backgrounds, in order to gain the patient’s trust and to build a strong relationship with him.
Even before I started working with MSF, I’ve always understood how injured people think, what their concerns are, and the most important part is to know how to connect with them. Because each person has a specific way of communicating.

More than 4,000 patients
shot during the protests
have been admitted to MSF clinics in Gaza
since 30 March 2018

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