For months, ten-year-old Ilaf Al-Samak refused to leave her wheelchair.
Although she is physically able to walk, the trauma and pain from the shrapnel wounds to her feet during an airstrike last August have left her too frightened to stand or walk.
Her mother explains that Ilaf had become withdrawn and afraid to speak about her injury.
“She hates physiotherapists,” she says. “She’s been seen by more than one psychologist and physiotherapist but refuses to engage with them.”
However, after four months of hope and persistence, Ilaf’s mother noticed a small change when Ilaf began receiving regular virtual reality (VR) treatment from the Gaza-based organisation TechMed.
An escape from reality
Founded by software engineer Mosab Imad in April 2024, TechMed uses VR technology to assist injured individuals through a VR headset and mobile phone technology.
The organisation began its work at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir El Balah, central Gaza. Before 7 October 2023, TechMed focused on developing gaming and educational software for children with special needs.
Now, it offers an alternative to traditional physiotherapy and psychotherapy, particularly for patients who are too traumatised or unwilling to work with medical professionals.
“The concept is based on taking a patient from the bitter reality they live into another world — one of peace, with trees, birds, and rivers”
According to Mosab, TechMed was inspired by his five-year-old son, Amin, who was severely injured in an airstrike, suffering a shrapnel wound to his right eye and a fractured foot.
The psychological trauma from the attack led to Amin’s evacuation to Egypt for treatment, which motivated Mosab to find a solution for others in Gaza.
“I had previous experience with VR programmes before the October 2023 war,” Mosab tells The New Arab. “After my son was evacuated, I came up with the idea of using VR. The concept is based on taking a patient from the bitter reality they live into another world — one of peace, with trees, birds, and rivers.”
In noting this, Mosab highlights that VR, often used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military veterans, is indeed now being applied across Gaza, where over 33,900 children have been injured and around 4,700 people, including 850 children, have lost limbs in the ongoing genocide.
Beyond Gaza, Mosab believes the VR approach could also help Palestinian refugees seeking asylum abroad, offering one-on-one sessions with mental health specialists trained in the technology to provide stress relief, calm nervous systems, and help patients adapt to their new realities, making them more receptive to traditional therapy and physiotherapy.
“We’ve had over 50 successful cases,” Mosab says, “with a comprehensive plan developed by five psychologists here in Gaza, headed by the Head of the Psychotherapy Department at the Ministry of Health.”
Mosab adds, “This ensures the sustainability of this remote treatment technology and the highest success rate in the shortest possible time.”
Immediate transformations
Like Mosab’s son, ten-year-old Ahmed Duweik faced a similar fate, losing his left arm in an Israeli airstrike, which resulted in PTSD.
Unable to accept the loss of his arm, he became reclusive and developed severe nightmares. After three sessions with a mental health specialist, his trauma remained unresolved.
Then TechMed intervened. Ahmed’s fourth session involved VR equipment, where he was immersed in a virtual green forest, free to walk and explore.
Mosab recalls the immediate transformation: “Ahmed was active and wanted to move around in the forest. Every question the specialist asked him was answered, which had previously been impossible.”
In saying this, Mosab notes that after just three VR sessions, Ahmed regained his appetite, no longer remembered his nightmares, and showed improved physical activity. He even became open to the idea of having a prosthesis, no longer afraid of his amputated arm.
Mosab shares: “Now, Ahmed has good social skills. Other skills, such as reading the Quran and playing football, have also improved. Through the technology, he was shown what he would be like in the future when fitted with a prosthetic limb.
“We had six therapeutic sessions with him, including a follow-up without VR,” continues Mosab.
“Ahmed wanted to speak to us without using the technology and expressed how happy he was. He said, ‘I want to go play football.’”
‘A breakthrough’
Despite various setbacks, such as the destruction of its treatment tent at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after an airstrike, TechMed has continued to support hospitals and health centres across Gaza remotely.
In partnership with The Sameer Project, a Palestinian charity, TechMed provides tailored VR treatment plans based on each patient’s specific needs and psychological condition.
Like Ahmed, Ilaf has also found VR therapy effective. During her sessions, she was immersed in a virtual forest, where she interacted with animals and responded to the specialists’ questions.
“Our specialist asked Ilaf how her house was bombed, and she narrated her story without any hindrance,” Mosab explains.
“They asked her to move her foot forward and backwards, and she responded. The specialist then asked Ilaf what she thought about walking through the forest while they held her hand. She stood up and walked steadily without any support,” Mosab continues.
For Ilaf’s mother, this was a breakthrough. “It’s the first time in two months she has walked like this,” she says, visibly relieved.
The following session saw the introduction of augmented reality (AR), where virtual objects floated in the air for Ilaf to reach out and touch, all while being able to see her family and the specialist in the background.
By the end of the session, Ilaf walked unaided to the neighbouring room, a huge milestone in her recovery.
Promising results
For Mosab and his team, the remote treatment technology has demonstrated promising results in Gaza.
They are currently collecting data and plan to conduct and publish scientific studies that could make a significant contribution to the global field, marking the first time virtual reality treatment has been used in the context of a genocide.
“After conducting a trial on more than 100 cases over three months, the success rate has been 90%,” Mosab explains. “This is far higher than the success rates of other specialists and medical delegations who have failed to achieve significant results after several months of treating war trauma victims.”
That said, Mosab notes that as Israel’s genocide continues to devastate Gaza, the need for innovative treatments like those offered by TechMed has never been greater.
While TechMed trains mental health workers to use this technology, funding remains a constant challenge. The VR headsets and software rely on donations to keep the programme running.
Despite the challenges, Mosab and his team remain hopeful that their efforts today will lay the foundation for a more sustainable and effective approach to mental health care in Gaza in the future.
If you’d like to donate to The Sameer Project to support the continued funding and expansion of TechMed, please click here
Haya Ahmed is a doctor and freelance writer from Gaza
