It is 2am in the obstetrics and gynaecology emergency department of Assahaba Medical Complex in Gaza City. Through the open windows, I can hear the never-ending hum of drones in the sky above, but aside from that, it is quiet. A breeze flows through the empty hall, granting relief from the heat, and a soft blue glow emanates from the few lights that are on. I am six months into a yearlong internship and 12 hours into a 16-hour shift. I am so tired that I could fall asleep here at the admissions desk, but in the calm, a rare sense of peace envelopes me.
It is soon shattered by a woman crying in pain. She is bleeding and gripped by cramps. We examine her and tell her that she has lost her unborn baby – the child she has dreamed of meeting. The woman was newly married, but just a month after her wedding, her husband was killed in an air raid. The child she was carrying – a 10-week-old embryo – was their first and will be their last.
Her face is pale, as though her blood has frozen with the shock. There is anguish, denial, and screams. Her screams draw the attention of others, who gather around her as she falls to the ground. We revive her, only to return her to her suffering. But now she is silent – there are no cries, no expression. Having lost her husband, she now endures the pain of losing what she hoped would be a living memory of him.
Fatima Arafa, a pregnant and displaced Palestinian woman, has a consultation with a doctor at Al Helou Hospital in Gaza City, on July 10, 2025 [REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj] (Reuters)
Life insists on arriving
It is my sixth night shift in obstetrics and gynaecology. I am supposed to rotate through other departments – spending two months in each – but I have already decided to become a gynaecologist during this rotation. Being in this ward brings joy to my life – it is where life begins, and it teaches me that hope is present regardless of the terrible things we are enduring.
Giving birth in a war zone – amid bombing, hunger, and fear – means life and death coexist. Sometimes, I still struggle to understand how life insists on arriving in this place surrounded by death.
It amazes me that mothers continue to bring children into a world in which survival feels uncertain. If the bombings don’t take us, hunger might. But what surprises me most is the resilience and patience of my people. They believe their children will live on to carry an important message: That no matter how many you have killed, Gaza responds by refusing to be erased.
Childbirth is far from easy. It is physically and emotionally exhausting, and mothers in Gaza endure excruciating pain without access to basic pain relief. Since March, the hospital has seen a severe shortage of basic supplies, including pain relief medication and anaesthetics. When they cry out as I stitch their tear wounds without anaesthesia, I feel helpless, but I try to distract them by telling them how beautiful their babies are and reassuring them that they have gotten through the hardest part.
With constant hunger here, many pregnant women are fatigued and do not gain enough weight during pregnancy. When the time comes to deliver, they are exhausted even before they begin to push. As a result, their labour can be prolonged, which means more pain for the mother. If a baby’s heartbeat slows, she might need an emergency Cesarean section.
Practicing medicine here is far from ideal. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and resources are severely limited. We’re constantly battling shortages of medical supplies. On every night shift, I work with one gynaecologist, three nurses and three midwives. I usually deal with the easier tasks, such as assessing conditions, suturing small tear wounds, and assisting with normal deliveries. A gynaecologist takes the more complicated cases, and a surgeon performs the elective and emergency Caesarean sections.
The surgeon always reminds us to minimise the consumption of gauze and sutures as much as possible, and to save them for the next patient who may arrive in desperate need. I try to discard and replace gauze only after it is completely saturated with blood.
Power outages make things even more difficult. The electricity cuts out several times a day, plunging the delivery room into darkness. In those moments, we have no choice but to switch on our phone flashlights to guide our hands.
During a recent shift, the electricity went out for nearly 10 minutes after a baby was born. The mother’s placenta hadn’t been delivered yet, so we used our phone lights to help her.
Many of the best medical professionals in Gaza have been killed, like Dr Basel Mahdi and his brother, Dr Raed Mahdi, both gynaecologists. They were killed while on duty at Mahdi Maternity Hospital in November 2023. Countless others have fled Gaza.
Most of the time, the doctors around me are too overworked to offer guidance or teach me the practical skills I had hoped to learn, though they try their best.
Still, some moments pierce through the exhaustion and remind me why I chose this path in the first place. These encounters stay with me longer than any lecture or textbook could.
A premature baby lies in an incubator at Al Helou Hospital, where doctors say a shortage of specialised formula milk is threatening the lives of newborns, in Gaza City, June 25, 2025 [Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters]
At dawn, a new baby
During one shift, a pregnant woman came in for a routine check-up, accompanied by her five-year-old daughter, whose smile lit up the room. She had come to learn the baby’s gender.
As I prepared the ultrasound, I turned and playfully asked the little girl, “Do you want it to be a boy or a girl?”
Without hesitation, she said, “A boy.”
Surprised by her certainty, I gently asked why. Before she could respond, her mother quietly explained. “She doesn’t want a girl. She’s afraid she’ll lose her – like she lost her older sister, who was killed in this latest attack.”
Another day, a woman in her tenth week of pregnancy came to the obstetrics clinic after being told by a doctor that her baby’s heart was not beating. As I performed an ultrasound to check the fetus, to my surprise and relief, I detected a heartbeat.
The woman cried with joy. On that day, I witnessed life where it was thought to have been lost.
Tragedy touches every part of our lives in Gaza. It is woven into our most intimate moments, even around the joy of expecting a new life. Safety is a luxury we’ve never known.
At 6am, as dawn breaks on the morning of my shift, we welcome a new baby born to a mother from the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, an area surrounded by Israeli soldiers and tanks. As the first rays of sunlight pierce the delivery room, the mother cries happy tears, her face flushed as she hugs her baby girl.
Having endured a night filled with fear, missiles, and snipers, the mother and her family managed to reach the hospital safely. In this moment, they celebrate and find a reason to hope again.
A BOSS has been branded as being “beyond diabolical” over the text messages they sent to an employee regarding her maternity leave.
Ben Askins, a UK career expert, regularly shares videos calling out questionable workplace behaviour to his social media sites.
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Ben Askins, pictured, read out the shocking text message exchange in a TikTok videoCredit: Ben.Askins / TikTok
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The boss tried to get the employee to take less maternity leave than she is entitled toCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
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The boss seems more concerned with how the maternity leave with impact the businessCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
In a recent post, Ben highlighted an “ugly” response to a pregnant woman’s “reasonable” request for maternity leave where he branded her employer as being in “the top three of the worst bosses I’ve come across”.
Ben shared the text exchange to his TikTok account which has since notched up nearly 590,000 views.
The text message exchange begins with the pregnant employee confirming that her manager had received her “email about maternity leave requests for February”.
The boss then replied: “I saw it, and I wanted to talk to you about it.
“Is there any way you’d consider reducing how long you want to take?
“If you are sure you are going to go ahead with it, would you be open to discussing it all. I am just a bit worried about the costs from our side.”
Clearly taken aback by her manager’s reaction, the female employee tried to justify her reason for taking her legally-entitled maternity leave.
To help ease the situation, she offered to be as helpful as possible to the person who would temporarily filling her position.
She wrote in reply: “Oh ok, um I was kind of hoping to take as much time as possible.
“This is my first child and wanted to get as used to being as parent as possible, especially as my family lives quite far away.”
Vick Hope finally reveals pregnancy – and date she’s going on maternity leave from BBC Radio One
She added: “I will ensure all my responsibilities are handed over seamlessly and help interview for mat cover but I really do want to take the full amount.”
The boss though continued to badger his employee over the “burden” she was allegedly creating by going on maternity leave.
He wrote: “The challenge is that this is a small company, and it’s quite a burden to have to pay both your mat leave and your mat cover.
“I am just not sure how we can cope.”
The woman though continued to advocate for her rights and even offered to assist her employer while she was off on leave.
She said: “I appreciate that but this isn’t fair to put on me, I am happy to support but I am well within my rights to do this.
“I will try and support however I can, make sure everything is in place for a smooth handover and can also be on call for emergencies if that helps?”
The concerned employee then ended the message by saying: “Is my pregnancy going to be a problem for my role in the company?”
The boss then responded: “Not at all! Your pregnancy is absolutely fine by me, we are a family company.”
However, they then continued: “[J]ust not ideal timing for me that is all. But if you are not going to help out and reduce the time then nothing really further for us to talk about I guess.”
As Ben read out the series of text message in the video, he couldn’t help interject with his own comments about the situation, calling the manager out for their “disgusting” behaviour.
Ben also claimed the boss in this case was “fully aware of what he’s doing”.
He said: “He’s trying to use guilt to basically get her to kind of waive her rights [to take the full length of maternity leave]… because you can then sort of go, ‘Oh no, she agreed with it.”
Ben also added the woman’s request was perfectly “reasonable” and noted she had gone above and beyond by offering additional assistance in regard to the recruitment and handover to her replacement.
The expert also added that it was not the woman’s “problem” the business may struggle financially due to her leave entitlement and it was her right to take maternity leave.
Ben said: “That is not her f**king problem, that is your problem.
“If she’s not an equity holder, she’s not a director in the business, it’s not her company, that is a YOUR problem.”
The clip has gained a lot of attention, along with nearly 1,000 comments, many outraged by the behaviour of the boss.
One person wrote: “This is the kind of boss that makes you start looking for another job while you’re on leave.”
Another added: “She should not even have to justify anything.”
A third said: “The gaslighting and guilt is beyond diabolical.”
Others took issue with the manipulative language used by the boss in the text exchange.
One commenter said: “’Not ideal timing for me.’ Yea, I mean sheesh, couldn’t think of your boss while conceiving your baby?”
Another asked: “Did they just suggest she get an abortion for the sake of the company’s bottom line?!?”
While a third posted: “’If you’re not going to help out’ is an insane thing to say especially after she already stated she’s more than happy to arrange cover and everything else before she leaves.”
From the video, it is unclear what jurisdiction the worker was in, but many commentators noted that maternity leave was a legal employment right in a number of countries, including Australia, and the employee may have grounds to take legal action.
One commentator wrote: “Wow… save this, go to an employer lawyer. Get settlement, enjoy!”
Another opined: “This is a slam dunk mat discrimination case. Employers need to understand that claim awards are potentially unlimited.”
Other commentators used the opportunity to relate their own horror stories about requesting maternity leave.
One person wrote: “I had a line manager refuse to discuss it with me because ‘your baby could still die right up until the end’.”
Another commentator added: “My old manager tried to convince me to have an abortion… they wondered why I didn’t want to go back after having my baby.”
While a third said: “My old boss tried to tell me I only got half maternity time with my second child cos I’d already done the full maternity bonding time with my first.”
While most comments expressed outrage by the response of the boss, there were some commentators who said they understood where the employer was coming from.
One reply said: “Whilst he’s being improper, you can’t avoid the fact that small companies will avoid employing women of childbearing age to reduce costs.”
Another commentator said: “For small businesses, maternity leave – even if protected by law – can have a massive impact on the company, especially if it’s not performing well financially.”
Someone else posted: “[S]o many companies like this don’t like hiring young women because the potential for taking maternity leave is high.”
One comment from a disheartened female worker gained more than 1,600 likes which said: “We’re judged by society if we don’t want kids and then punished by work when we do.
“We’re judged for working 9-5 and having a career with kids but then also judged if we stay home full time with kids. Women can’t win.”
Under the Fair Work Act, all employees in Australia are able to get up to 12 months unpaid parental leave, if they have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with their employer.
The Paid Parental Leave scheme is run by Services Australia which provides financial support to eligible working parents to take time off work so they can care for a newborn or recently adopted child.
Some employees are able to receive parental leave payments from the Australian Government Parental Leave Pay, while others will get employer funded parental leave payments.
In some cases, it is possible a person can receive both.
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The employee, not pictured, offered to help with the handover to her replacement (stock image)Credit: Getty
Maternity services at two Leeds hospitals have been downgraded from “good” to “inadequate” by the healthcare regulator, because their failings posed “a significant risk” to women and babies.
Concerns from staff and patients around quality of care and staffing levels were substantiated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during unannounced inspections at Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust.
England’s regulator has now issued a warning notice which requires the trust to take immediate action to improve. Neonatal services have also been downgraded from “good” to “requires improvement”.
Over the past six months, the BBC has spoken to 67 families who say they experienced inadequate care at the trust, including parents who say their babies suffered avoidable injury or death. We also talked to five whistleblowers who said the previous CQC “good” rating did not reflect reality.
In response to the CQC downgrade, LTH said it had committed to improving its maternity and neonatal services at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and St James’ University Hospital.
‘At risk of avoidable harm’
During its December 2024 and January 2025 inspections, the CQC found official regulation breaches relating to risk management, safe environment, learning following incidents, infection prevention and control, medicines management and staffing.
Areas of concern highlighted in the maternity units at both hospitals included:
People being “not safe” and “at risk of avoidable harm” – while investigations into incidents, and points raised from these to enable learning, were not always evident
Babies and families not always being supported and treated with dignity and respect
Leadership being “below acceptable standard” and not supporting the delivery of high-quality care
Staff being reluctant to raise concerns and incidents – because “the trust had a blame culture”
Staff, despite being passionate about their work, struggling to provide their desired standard of care because of staffing issues
LTH provided evidence to the CQC showing it had reported 170 maternity “red flag incidents”, indicating there had been staffing issues, between May and September 2024.
The CQC’s findings also highlighted staffing concerns in neonatal services at both hospitals, with a shortage of qualified staff to care for babies with complex needs.
This coming autumn, the trust says 35 newly qualified midwives are due to start work and it has also appointed additional midwifery leadership roles.
The regulator will be monitoring the trust’s services closely, including through further inspections – says the CQC’s director in the north of England, Ann Ford – to make sure patients receive safe care while improvements are implemented.
“We would like to thank all those people who bravely shared their concerns,” she said. “This helps us to have a better picture of the care being provided to people and to focus our inspection in the relevant areas.”
MARTIN MCQUADE / BBC
Amarjit Kaur and Mandip Singh Matharoo’s daughter Asees was stillborn in January 2024
One family who told the BBC they believe their child would have survived had they received better treatment is Amarjit Kaur and Mandip Singh Matharoo, whose baby was stillborn in January 2024.
The CQC report highlights “how inadequate the service is, which leads to patient harm”, they told us.
“Unfortunately, it’s too little too late for our daughter Asees and us, but we hope that this will trigger serious change within the system and take the concerns of patients using the service more seriously.”
Fiona-Winser Ramm, whose daughter Aliona died in 2020 after what an inquest found to be a number of “gross failures”, described the CQC’s findings as “horrific”.
“The concerns we have been raising for five years have been proved true,” she says.
But she believes the CQC has been slow to act.
“The CQC inspected Leeds in 2023 and somehow rated them as being good. Let’s be clear these problems haven’t just appeared in the last two years, they are systemic.”
In response, the CQC said the 2023 inspection had been part of a national maternity inspection programme focussing specifically on safety and leadership, which found some areas for improvement, but also identified some good practice.
“As the independent regulator we are committed to ensuring our assessments of the quality and safety of all services are accurate and reflect the experiences of the people that use them,” added Ann Ford.
All 67 families who have spoken to the BBC want an independent review into the trust’s maternity services – and a group of them have asked Health Secretary Wes Streeting for it to be led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden.
Some Leeds families also joined other bereaved parents from across England this week to urge Mr Streeting to hold a national inquiry into maternity safety – he is yet to make a decision.
Chief executive of LTH, Prof Phil Wood, said in a statement: “My priority is to make sure we urgently take action to deliver these improvements.”
The trust is committed to providing “safe, compassionate care”, he added, and has already started making improvements, including recruitment, and addressing concerns around culture.
“We deliver more than 8,500 babies each year and the vast majority of those are safe and positive experiences,” he said. “But we recognise that’s not the experience of all families.”
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Former Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan gave birth to her first child in March of this year alongside husband Mark Wright, with the happy couple raking it in during the new mum’s maternity leave
22:58, 19 Jun 2025Updated 23:08, 19 Jun 2025
Michelle has been making money while on maternity leave(Image: Getty Images)
Michelle Keegan is reportedly raking in six figures while on she’s maternity leave as she’s able to make £8,000 a week. The actress gave birth to her first daughter Palma back in March but it’s thought that she can still make money while not taking on new acting projects.
The new mum reportedly raked in a huge £441,082 while she was pregnant which brings her net worth to more than £4million in total. Michelle’s performing arts firm Rosie Promotions’ filings show that Michelle was raking the money in while she was off on maternity leave.
Accounts filed at Companies House show that she made the equivalent of £8,482 per week for the year up to September 30, 2024. This increases the net worth of the company to £4,032,277 after bills.
Michelle gave birth in March(Image: michkeegan/Instagram)
The Sun reports that the firm has £3,473,623 in cash and £610,370 in property which includes a flat in Altrincham which was bought in 2022. Michelle made £280,000 in her firm’s first year of trading and she exceeded £2 million in 2021 before £3 million in 2023.
Another way Michelle makes money is by co-directing clothing business Mysa Active with her husband Mark Wright. Michelle has reportedly landed a six-figure deal to become the new face of Sky.
It’s thought that the star will film promo clips alongside fellow British actor Luther star Idris Elba. She managed to bag the deal after she has been a Sky staple in her comedy Brassic which is one of the most popular series on the channel.
Michelle is married to Mark Wright(Image: INSTAGRAM)
A source said: “Michelle has really been enjoying maternity leave with Palma, but she’ll be back to work soon to film these new adverts for Sky. She has signed a six-figure deal for the job and is thrilled to have been chosen to appear alongside Idris, who has been their ‘face’.
“Brassic is ending after the seventh series and Michelle is keen to still be a part of the Sky brand. Landing this ad is huge for Michelle, as she’s fast becoming a brand in her own right. Everything she touches seems to turn to gold.”
Michelle has found fame over the years through her acting career. She is best known for her roles on Coronation Street and Our Girl.
Michelle and Mark live a lavish lifestyle together(Image: PA)
However, being a famous actress wasn’t always on the cards for Michelle. She didn’t have any plans when she first left school and found herself working at Selfridges in the Trafford Centre on a make-up counter and at Manchester Airport as a check-in agent.
But this didn’t last for long as she them turned her hand to acting and she found success soon after. She secured first acting appearance on Coronation Street when she was offered the role of Tina McIntyre after just her second audition as an actress.
