Dr. Mads Gilbert

Mads Gilbert is an award-winning Norwegian medical doctor and author, professor em., specialized in anaesthesiology and emergency medicine at The Arctic University of Norway, and senior consultant at Clinic of Emergency Medicine at The University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsø, where he lives (formally twin city with Gaza City since 2002). He has been active as a medical solidarity worker with the Palestinians since 1981, mostly in Gaza over the last 20 years. He has a broad range of experiences from solidarity medicine projects in Burma, Cambodia, Angola, and Afghanistan. He has worked in global SOUTH as consultant for WHO, UNRWA, NORWAC and for his governmental University Hospital. He has authored books on trauma care in rural SOUTH (‘Save Lives Save Limbs’, Third World Network 2000), and on his experiences working clinically during Israeli attacks on Gaza: “Eyes in Gaza” (2009, with Dr. Erik Fosse) and ‘Night in Gaza’ (2014). He publishes scientific papers on trauma research with Palestinian colleagues in Gaza, and on consequences of Israeli siege and attacks on Gaza and structural violence. Dr. Gilbert travels annually to Gaza to participate in teaching and training emergency medicine as well as doing research and healthcare development, always in close cooperation with Palestinian partners and health authorities. He worked in Shifa Medical Complex during the Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2014. Following October 7th 2023, he immediately travelled to Egypt with an emergency surgical team with NORWAC to work in Gaza, but was denied access by the Israeli Army. He stayed in the region the following three months to contribute to medical relief work and advocacy to stop the man-made, humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. In 2013, the Norwegian King Harald made him Commander of The Order of St. Olav for his overall contributions to emergency medicine and international medical solidarity. X/Twitter: @DrMadsGilbert Instagram: drmadsgilbert Updated Febr. 2024