Health-care workers and residents urge San Francisco Health Department to call for Gaza ceasefire

A sustained block of general public comment at the Health Commission meeting focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Health-care workers and community members urged the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Commission leadership to use their platforms to call for an immediate ceasefire and to name the humanitarian situation a public-health crisis.

Mural, a licensed clinical social worker, argued that "genocide is a public health issue" and called on the commission to "declare genocide as what it is, a human rights crisis and a public health crisis" and to support Supervisor Dean Preston's ceasefire resolution. Another speaker, Elizabeth, a therapist working with queer and trans youth, said she was "alarmed that my department has not done more to speak out against the atrocities we are witnessing every single day in Gaza" and argued that departmental silence harms patients and colleagues.

Dawn Surratt, a nurse practitioner, told the commission staff circulated a letter from almost 200 SFDPH employees requesting a formal departmental statement in support of a permanent ceasefire; she said leadership had not acknowledged the request. Multiple callers argued that silence is not neutral and urged the commission to use its public voice.

Commissioners listened to the comments but did not take formal action during the meeting on the requests to adopt a public position. The public-comment period reflected sustained and organized outreach by health-care workers and community groups asking DPH to act publicly on an international humanitarian matter they framed as directly affecting San Francisco patients and staff.