A consultant who divides her time between a hospital and an air ambulance charity, saving lives in remote locations, hopes to encourage more women to take on leadership roles in the medical sector. Dr Marwa El-Zanfaly, 42, works for Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex as a helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) doctor, flying to rural environments and tending to roadside emergencies.
Marwa, who has appeared on Channel 4 programme 24 Hours In A&E, splits her time between the charity and St Mary’s Hospital where she works as a consultant. As part of her work attending medical emergencies by helicopter, she deals with incidents varying from plane crashes and multi-vehicle car crashes, to people who have been thrown from horses or trampled by cows – with treatment up to and including heart surgery being performed.
Now she hopes to inspire more women who face barriers in joining medical services. She said: “There is a shortage of women working in medicine and, while that is changing, there is still a lack of women in leadership roles.
