When every second counts

Sometimes I ask myself: What if those seconds hadn't happened? If I had reacted or decided differently? I have experienced many moments like this. 

There was an airstrike in Gaza in the immediate neighbourhood of the hospital. We only realised it shortly beforehand, when people ran inside to seek shelter. Then it was a matter of seconds: the patients had to get out of their rooms and away from the windows as quickly as possible because of the risk of being injured or even killed by shards of glass.  

Everyone in the team understood immediately what to do. We ran to move the patients to protect them from further harm. Moments like these, where small decisions can make the difference between life and death, will always stay in my mind. 

My first assignment with MSF was in Libya. Initially, we provided medical care to people in the detention camps (camps where people are held without trial). After these camps were closed our teams started with mobile clinics: We treated patients with tuberculosis, skin diseases, diarrhoea and many other illnesses.  

However, the interventions we needed to respond to most frequently were the severe traumas of the people resulting from exposure to violence in torture centres. We found people collapsed and starving on the streets, with wounds and burn holes from stubbed-out cigarettes on their bodies. There are many survivors of human trafficking in Libya, that’s why we offer psychosocial support. 

There are a lot of armed militias active in Libya. We therefore had to decide what to do. Human trafficking is widespread in Libya and without a family he would very likely have been kidnapped.  

As a team, we decided that we couldn't allow this to happen. We decided that this was an emergency and took the boy to the clinic. Eventually, we were able to find his sister and she was able to take him with her. Without this decision, he would not be able to live in safety today. 

In Libya, my fear was that I would have to evacuate the team as project coordinator. And then it happened: two armed groups were fighting very close to our workplace. The fighting went on all day.

So, during a break in the fighting, we decided that we urgently needed to leave within the next 30 minutes. In that moment, a strange calm settled over us, like the eye of a cyclone, even though everything unfolded so quickly: everyone grabbed their backpacks, we piled into the cars, and drove off. In moments like these, there’s an unexpected ease, as everyone acts together. 

My next assignment was in Herat, Afghanistan. I worked in a huge hospital: We oversaw the paediatric department, including triage, the emergency department, intensive care unit and the therapeutic nutrition centre. Nobody expected any earthquakes in this region. We were not prepared. That was shortly before the end of my assignment. 

When the earth suddenly shook, everything happened at lightning speed: we first had to evacuate the hospital and immediately took the children outside. Once everyone was outside, our team gathered in a circle. We quickly discussed who would take on which tasks and how we could best assist the injured. 

It was about saving lives and treating people immediately. Thinking back on it today, I am so proud of the whole team, we are all still in contact and still talk about that one moment. 

Whether in Gaza, Libya or Afghanistan: I have experienced many moments when things had to happen quickly. I try to gain some distance when reflecting on the decisions I have made as a project coordinator 

I always try to take a moment to think about what I could have done differently. It’s a valuable learning process that helps me grow and improve. This reflection prepares me to make the right decisions in future situations where every second counts - seconds that can save lives.