Coronavirus victim who warned about lack of PPE in NHS hailed as 'hero'

10 April 2020, 12:18

A doctor who died from coronavirus after warning about the lack of personal protection equipment (PPE) in the NHS has been hailed as a hero by his son.

Consultant urologist Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died on Wednesday night, more than two weeks after being taken to hospital on March 23.

Five days before he was admitted, Dr Chowdhury wrote a Facebook post asking Boris Johnson to urgently provide every NHS worker with personal protective equipment (PPE).

Intisar Chowdhury said his father - who worked at Homerton University Hospital in east London - was in "such pain" in hospital and unable to communicate with his family when he wrote the appeal.

His son said: "He wrote that post while he was in that state, just because of how much he cared about his co-workers, and the courage my dad had to point out something wrong that the government was doing, which I'm so proud to say that he was able to do.

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"Even in his state, he did that, and I'm glad that even though I only found out about it yesterday, I'm not surprised, I genuinely am not surprised, because he is a man of the people."

Mr Chowdhury, 18, said his father was "unfortunately not going to be the last NHS frontline worker to die" during the outbreak.

He added: "I'm glad it is getting the attention now that it needs to protect NHS workers on the front line because it pains me to say that my father is not the first and he is unfortunately not going to be the last NHS frontline worker to die.

"If there is anything we can do to minimise that from happening as much as possible, that's all we need to do.

"I want everyone to remember him for the kind and compassionate hero he was, because he was a hero.

"He started a conversation that I hope does not end for a while - does not end ever."

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Dr Chowdhury is survived by his wife and two children aged 18 and 11.

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.

"He leaves behind his wife and two children. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

"Two weeks before his admission to hospital he wrote a message to the prime minister urging for better PPE.

"May he rest in peace."

Paying tribute to Dr Khan, Homerton University Hospital's chief executive Tracey Fletcher said: "Abdul will be greatly missed by every member of the urology department, as well as by all those who knew him in outpatients, wards, theatres and management.

"Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time."

It comes after Anton Sebastianpillai, consultant geriatrician at Kingston Hospital in south-west London, died on Saturday, four days after being admitted to the intensive care unit.