The Pat Kenny Show Professor Nick Maynard on 15 years engaging in surgical volunteering in Gaza
Nov 12, 2025
Professor Nick Maynard, a leading consultant upper GI surgeon and Associate Professor at Oxford, shares his remarkable 15-year journey of surgical volunteering in Gaza. He describes the intense security challenges and resource limitations faced by medical teams. Returning during the recent conflict, he witnessed mass casualties and the devastation of the healthcare system. Despite the bleak conditions, he highlights the resilience of Palestinian healthcare workers and the hopeful resolve of Gazans determined to rebuild their lives.
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How He Began Volunteering In Gaza
- Nick Maynard first went to the West Bank to teach medical students and then extended that work to Gaza starting in 2010.
- He says he "fell in love with the Palestinians" and has returned regularly for 15 years.
Access Was Limited And Perilous
- Entry to Gaza was tightly controlled and dangerous, requiring months-long permits and intense security checks.
- Maynard reports witnessing aerial bombardment on every trip during his 15 years there.
Severe Resource Gaps In Healthcare
- Gaza's healthcare always ran with severe resource shortages yet delivered high-level care under constraints.
- Basic cancer treatments like radiotherapy were unavailable inside Gaza and required risky permission to travel abroad.