'American Doctor' documentary spotlights US physicians witnessing Gaza's healthcare collapse

• The documentary American Doctor follows three US physicians who volunteered in Gaza and witnessed the collapse of medical care amid severe shortages.
• Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Perlmutter recounts amputating the leg of a five-year-old girl without anesthesia, saying doctors could only sing to her during the procedure.

A newly released documentary, American Doctor, is bringing firsthand accounts from US physicians who volunteered in the Gaza Strip to audiences in the United States and Canada, documenting the conditions they encountered inside overwhelmed hospitals.

Directed by Poh Si Teng, the 2026 documentary follows three American doctors, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Perlmutter, emergency physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad and trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, during medical missions to Gaza. The film was released in US theaters in August and is distributed by Watermelon Pictures.

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One of the most harrowing accounts comes from Perlmutter, who describes performing an emergency leg amputation on a five-year-old girl when medical supplies, including anesthesia, were unavailable.

Perlmutter said the girl remained conscious throughout the procedure and that the medical team could only rely on an anesthesiologist singing to her.

"We were praying for her to faint," Perlmutter recalled, describing how the child remained awake during the operation.

The account has also been reported by Al Jazeera, which published footage of Perlmutter describing the procedure and the lack of anesthesia available to the medical team.

The documentary depicts hospitals receiving waves of wounded patients while operating with limited space, medical equipment and medicines.

Ahmad described dealing with mass-casualty events in which dozens of patients arrived simultaneously, while hospitals faced shortages of pain medication and other essential supplies.

Perlmutter, who has worked on medical missions for more than three decades, said he had previously performed hundreds of amputations but had never had to carry out such procedures without anesthesia. He also said surgical instruments and antibiotics he brought into Gaza were confiscated. These are his firsthand accounts and allegations about the circumstances surrounding medical supplies.

American Doctor also follows the physicians after they return to the United States, including their efforts to speak publicly about what they witnessed in Gaza.

The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and later screened at international documentary festivals. It focuses on the experiences of the three doctors inside Gaza as well as their attempts to share those experiences with audiences and policymakers in the United States.

Correction: The material you provided says Perlmutter amputated a child's arm, but available reports and the documentary-related accounts identify the procedure as a leg amputation involving a five-year-old girl.