Medical aid deployments to disaster zones is something that the two founders of the Doctors of Rahman have frequently done. Hearing and seeing the plight of millions of lives destroyed and ravaged by conflict spurred them into action. However, the challenges were significant and even though their presence was welcome the lack of resources and critical infrastructure limited their abilities to deliver the standard of care that they were used to delivering in the UK.

The decision to evaluate the true needs in these areas highlighted the fact that immediate clinical support was only part of the issue. Medium to longer-term problems included the need to rebuild critical infrastructure and to train/retain the local healthcare professionals of the future. 

With that in mind the Doctors of Rahman came into existance with a view to:

• Deliver high quality clinical care and education in disaster zones
• Deploy virtual educational resources in collaboration with local collaborators to ensure the most optimal continuity of education
• Facilitate overseas clinical training for those affected by disaster

Professor Abdul Rashid Gatrad OBE is a distinguished consultant paediatrician, humanitarian, and environmentalist whose lifetime of service has transformed lives locally, nationally, and internationally. Alongside his continuing NHS work, he serves as CEO of Midland International Aid Trust – MIAT and Doctors of Rahman – DOR (MIAT DOR), overseeing all activities with a focus on governance, accountability, and measurable impact. His leadership ensures that every project undertaken by MIAT DOR is rooted in integrity, due diligence, and a commitment to the communities it serves.
In July 2024 representatives of DOR – Doctors of Rahman engaged in a pivotal meeting with Professor Gatrad, an encounter that would shape the course of the organisation’s identity. Today, the organisation has evolved into what is now known as MIAT DOR, under the leadership of Prof Gatrad, who serves as its Chief Executive. Through his stewardship, the joint organisations have not only preserved their historical roots but also expanded their reach and impact.
Professor Gatrad brings to the now MIAT DOR more than three decades of international humanitarian experience. As CEO of the Midland International Aid Trust (MIAT), he has led over 80 overseas missions in more than 25 countries, delivering hospitals, mobile health units, schools, clean water, food aid, and disability support. Thousands have had their sight restored through cataract operations he organised in Asia and Africa, while hundreds of water pumps have been installed in rural villages, schools, and mosques — ensuring sustainable access to safe water and improving public health outcomes for generations to come. www.miatwalsall.org.uk
Alongside his humanitarian service, Professor Gatrad has an outstanding academic record. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, authored several medical textbooks, and written internationally distributed children’s books on environmental sustainability. He pioneered one of the UK’s first Paediatric Assessment Units — a model now adopted nationally — and has been recognised with the National Clinical Excellence Award, the Freedom of Walsall, and an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen. His work in reducing infant mortality in Walsall remains a landmark achievement in UK public health for which he was made a Freeman of Walsall. He has been awarded many other accolades including the BBC ‘Making A difference Award’ and the Life Time Achievement Award by the Mayor of West Midlands.
Today, under his stewardship, MIAT DOR continues to prioritise two projects
1.⁠ ⁠Gaza — raising funds, coordinating virtual clinics with UK specialists, and supporting displaced medical and dental students through the G-HOPE programme. By uniting medicine, humanitarian aid, academic innovation, and environmental stewardship, The team ensures that MIAT DOR is not only responding to urgent crises but also laying the foundations for long-term resilience, dignity, and hope
2.⁠ ⁠The Women Empowerment Centre in Faisalabad which Prof Gatrad has built as a legacy for the original MIAT Charity in memory of its founder Mr Khawaja Mohammed Aslam.

Mr Ismail Ughratdar

Ismail is a UK fellowship trained Neurosurgeon with an interest in neurotrauma and neurooncology. He completed his surgical training in Nottingham and his fellowship training in London. He frequently goes on overseas missions.