Why the British Medical Association is speaking out on Gaza

Across the UK and around the world, the tide has turned. From musicians chanting at Glastonbury, to students occupying campuses, to doctors’ unions passing motions of solidarity, public opinion has shifted. People are demanding an end to active participation in genocide and ethnic cleansing.

The votes two weeks ago at the British Medical Association’s annual representative meeting - the largest gathering of doctors in the UK - are a powerful symbol of that shift.

I am a senior National Health Service (NHS) anaesthetist. I work in operating theatres, where the stakes are high and the duty clear: do no harm, save lives where you can, ease pain where you cannot. 

Like most health workers, I hold dear the belief that every human life holds equal worth, and that providing dignified care should never be conditional - not on race, nationality or politics.

But in Palestine, the very foundations of our profession are being destroyed with impunity.

Read more:  Why the British Medical Association is speaking out on Gaza