Trauma doctor trained in SA caught in missile strike

An Israeli trauma specialist who spent time working in South African public hospitals earlier this year was on duty last week when an Iranian missile struck Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, causing serious injuries and widespread damage.

Dr Guy Barsky, 44, who completed a trauma fellowship through Sheba Medical Center’s Africa Fellowship Programme earlier this year, was inside Soroka Medical Center, Israel’s main southern hospital, when the building was rocked by the blast on Thursday, 19 June, amid a full-scale Iranian missile assault targeting Israel.

“Soroka was badly damaged,” Barsky told the SA Jewish Report from Be’er Sheva. “The ground shook, the windows shattered. We were working in a protected area of the hospital, but it was scary.”

As Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones targeting cities across central and northern Israel, hospitals across the country transitioned into full emergency mode. In Be’er Sheva, Soroka began evacuating patients from upper floors, which were less protected, well before the strike.

“Days before the attack, we had already started evacuating some floors,” Barsky said. “It was part of our hospital’s emergency preparedness plan. That decision likely saved lives.”

After the strike, Soroka moved most of its remaining patients to other hospitals, operating at minimal capacity for several days. On Tuesday, 24 June, it resumed broader care services.

Hospitals in Israel underwent intensive preparedness work to maintain patient care in wartime conditions, including converting protected areas and in some hospitals underground sections into operational medical zones. Like other facilities across Israel, Soroka revamped its internal mass casualty event protocols, including emergency evacuation procedures, to respond to the growing threat of Iranian aggression.

Barsky, who specialises in trauma and emergency medicine, described the moment the missile hit. “I was in a meeting with staff when the sirens went off. We immediately followed protocol and moved into a highly protected area. That’s the best part about working in Israel – we’re all trained for these extreme scenarios.”

One of his colleagues was in the middle of surgery when the hospital took a direct hit. “He was in a highly protected operating theatre,” Barsky said. “He felt the impact, but the lights didn’t even flicker. That’s how well these zones are reinforced.”

Meanwhile, in the centre of the country, Israel’s flagship Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv transitioned within 48 hours into full emergency mode as Iranian missiles targeted the region. Seventeen departments were relocated to underground facilities, ensuring that critical treatment, from intensive care to neonatal services, continued uninterrupted.

Barsky, who lives in Be’er Sheva, was also on duty on Tuesday, 24 June, when another missile struck a residential building in the city, killing four and injuring many others.

“I’ve worked through missile strikes on my hospital and helped treat victims from missile strikes on my city. It’s the reality we’re living in,” he said.

That reality has been shaped not only by years of training in Israeli trauma medicine, but also by his recent fellowship in Gauteng, where he trained alongside some of South Africa’s most experienced emergency doctors.

Earlier this year, Barsky spent several months in South Africa, rotating through high-pressure public hospitals as part of the Africa Fellowship Programme, a collaborative initiative aimed at cross-training medical professionals across the continent.

“The trauma surgeons in Johannesburg are some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Nothing phases them. Weekends are like war zones – stabbings, shootings, crashes. The numbers are war numbers.”

Though Israel’s medical infrastructure is geared for military conflict, South African trauma doctors operate with immense skill and resilience despite limited resources, Barsky said.

“In South Africa, you have war injuries during peace time. In Israel, we see that kind of injury during our actual wars.”

His experience in South Africa prepared him for some of the scenarios he has recently faced.

“The trauma teams in South Africa do incredible work. I learned a lot, especially about thinking quickly, staying calm, and making tough calls.”

Barsky said that despite Israel’s highly developed medical system, what truly distinguishes its response in wartime is preparation and co-ordination. That training was tested for him on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched its brutal invasion from Gaza.

“I was on call that day and for weeks afterwards. It was very hard,” he said.

He said when a crisis hits, hospital protocol kicks in, wards are evacuated, surgical teams mobilised, and hospitals reinforced.

The Iran-Israel confrontation that erupted in June 2025 once again tested the system. Yet Barsky said the combination of preparedness, teamwork, and collaboration helped Israel’s hospitals to continue to save lives under fire.

“We’re trained for this. The fact that we’re prepared for these scenarios helped prevent even worse outcomes,” he said.

He said his South African experience added depth to his professional capabilities. “The trauma I saw in South Africa, the resilience, the commitment, the medical brilliance in tough conditions – it’s something I’ll remember and lean on during tense times.”

With tensions still high and Israel remaining in a state of readiness, Barsky and his colleagues continue their work on the frontline – not of combat, but care.

“Whether you’re in Johannesburg or Be’er Sheva, when people are hurt, doctors respond. We do what we’ve been trained to do even when missiles are flying,” he said.