London
A Pakistani doctor working in the United Kingdom lost his life to COVID-19 last week despite being in a healthy condition and carrying out his work duties.
According to an article by Daily Pakistan, Dr Abdul Fowad Choudhury, the 64-year-old doctor from Hyderabad who managed a ward at East London’s Newham University Hospital, was the third of four brothers and is survived by a wife and four children. His family confirmed that he developed coronavirus symptoms and got seriously sick all of a sudden.
A graduate of Liaquat Medical College, Dr Choudhury moved to the United Kingdom after getting married in 1987. Over the years, he worked hard to make his way up and became a respected consultant, managing a psychiatric ward in the Newham University Hospital.
According to those close to him, he was loved and cherished by everyone. His family said he spoke less but always respected and listened to others.
“Watching National Geographic nature programmes was his favourite pastime,” his son Hasaan told the publication.
He had travelled to Europe, Turkey, Morocco, and Egypt and the next destination on his list of places to see was the Northern Lights in Iceland before he passed away.
“He loved heated discussions and would often pat others on the back, saying ‘bhai jaan’ while talking with a big smile. He loved to tease and joke with friends and family,” Hasaan added.
Dr Choudhury’s son said the late consultant was also “a beloved father figure to his nieces and nephews”.
On a personal front, the deceased was a devout Muslim, never missing a prayer, whether it was the daily one or the special one on Fridays. He had also performed Umrah and Hajj in his lifetime.
“He had the biggest heart and was known for his generosity, not only with money but with his time and efforts too,” Hasaan added.
Other members of Dr Choudhury’s family said helping others came naturally to him, therefore, being a doctor was his pride. He would always somehow solve others’ problems before they even expressed them to him, they added.
He also loved Pakistani breakfast, including parathas with omelettes and halwa puri, his family mentioned.
Dr Choudhury joins more than 210 healthcare workers who have died due to the coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom. Of these, the Pakistani ones include 50-year-old plastic surgeon Dr Furqan Ali Siddiqui, consultant doctor Nasir Khan, Mamoona Rana, Khalid Jamil, Dr Syed Zishan Haider, NHS nurse Areema Nasreen, and Dr Habib Zaidi.
More than half — 61% — of the healthcare workers who lost their lives to the deadly disease were from the ethnic minority backgrounds. According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, the death rate among British-Pakistanis and Black British people is 2.5 times that of the white population.—Agencies
