A Muslim doctor who warned PM Boris Johnson that frontline staff urgently needed more Personal Protective Equipment PPE has died after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury has sadly died after spending 15 days in hospital flight against the virus.
Choudhury 53, of Bangladeshi origin was a locum urologist who worked at Homerton Hospital in East London and died at London’ Queen's Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus. He is survived by his wife and two children.
On 18 March he wrote a message to Boris Johnson asking him to "urgently" ensure personal protective equipment for "each and every NHS worker in the UK". He told the prime minister that healthcare workers "are in direct contact with patients" and have a "human right like others to live in this world disease-free with our family and children".
In a statement the Muslim Doctors Association paid tribute to him saying: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, Consultant Urologist at Homerton Hospital, after fighting for his life from COVID-19.
Since the outbreak of coronavirus two British-Pakistani doctors have already lost their lives battling with the dangerous disease. Dr Habib Zaidi, was the first UK doctor to die after contracting the virus. He was General Practitioner (GB) and it is believe that he was infecting while seeing patients at his practice. Dr
Zaidi, 76 later died in intensive care at Southend Hospital, Essex, 24 hours after being taken ill on 24 March.
Similarly, this week another Pakistani doctor Syed Zeeshan Haider at London’s Dagenham’s Valence Medical Centre passed away due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Prominent British-Pakistani businessman Nazir Awan has lost his life to the deadly coronavirus after remaining in the hospital for a week. Awan, a Birmingham based businessman was the Chief Executive of Awan International a leading UK wholesale business. He was an active member of
Pakistani community and played an important role in strengthening UK- Pakistan relations. He also was the founding member of the Institute of Asian Businesses which is currently known as Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) Birmingham.
His son Amer Awan told Daily Times his father fell ill with fever around two weeks ago and was in self- quarantine but last Saturday his condition deteriorated upon which he was admitted in the local where he tragically died on Wednesday. Awan who was born in Peshawar, but came to the UK in 1964 at the age of 11 and initially qualified as a mechanical engineer. Later, he joined his family small retail business in Birmingham which he transformed into one of the UK’s leading wholesalers and real estate business. Last year he celebrated spending 50 years in his business and was also known for his philanthropy. He was on the board of Save the Children, a UK based charity along with the Princess Royal. Amer Awan who is also director at the family business said his father left a fantastic legacy and it’s up to them to continue his inheritance. He said his father used to say that our surname is Awan which means to help others.
Consul General of Pakistan in Birmingham Ahmer Ismail and Vice Consul General Sardar Khattak paying tributes to Nazir Awan said deceased was an important member of Pakistani community in the UK. Ahmer said Awan was always there to support community events, loved his country and his passing would be great lost for the entire community in the UK. They prayed to Allah Almighty for granting eternal peace to the deceased and granting courage to his family to bear the loss.
