Memorial service held for the doctors who lost their lives in the pandemic

A memorial service was held today (Thursday) for the doctors who lost their lives to Covid-19 during the pandemic.

The service was held at the The British Medical Association (BMA) headquarters in London and a list of the names of doctors known to have died were read out before a minute’s silence was observed.

A specially commissioned stone sculpture was also presented in the courtyard of the BMA’s headquarters, serving as a permanent memorial to all healthcare workers who have died from Covid-19.

BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul paid tribute to the “courage and bravery” of healthcare staff working throughout the pandemic, and expressed “profound sorrow and heartfelt condolences” to the loved ones of those doctors who have died, some of whom were in attendance.

In his opening address, he said that through every resurging wave of this pandemic, a constant has been the heroism and selflessness of the medical workforce.

He added: “As many millions of people sheltered in their homes to limit contact with others, we went to work to care for the sick and the vulnerable. As the virus shut down society, we served the nation. When people were asked to lockdown, they did their duty, and we did ours.

“It is a cruel tragedy that in saving the lives of tens of thousands of patients, so many doctors lost their own. They dedicated their lives to the pursuit of helping others. Their deeds will inspire generations long after this pandemic has passed. Each one a unique reminder of the reason so many of us became doctors; the shared respect we have for the sanctity of life. Our memorial today is dedicated to all of them who lived to make the lives of others better.”

Family members pay tribute to loved ones lost

Pamela Foley, wife of Mr Amged El-Hawrani, an ear nose and throat surgeon from Staffordshire, who died in March 2020, said: “Amged lived his whole life treating everyone with kindness. He wanted to fix everything and everybody, whether it was physically or mentally. Praise and approval were meaningless to him, he was only gratified through witnessing the result of which his input had on the people he cared for, both professionally and as a husband, father, brother, son and friend.

“I feel that this memorial exists as a crucial opportunity for us to acknowledge the selfless nature of the health workers who lost their lives in the battle against Covid-19. These people died in their line of duty and should be forever admired as the heroes they are. I also feel that this memorial allows me and my family to reclaim part of the experience we lost when we were prohibited from a traditional funeral and memorial service.”

Dr Zehra Zaidi, daughter of Dr Syed Habib Haider Zaidi, a GP in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, who passed away in March 2020, said: “My dad would always help people. He was selfless in so many ways. He would go out on Christmas Day in the middle of Christmas dinner, and deliver someone’s baby, or he would go and see a sick child.

“People would stop him in a supermarket, or whilst out locally, all the time. I can remember one older lady saying thank you for fixing her knee, for example. He loved helping people and people genuinely loved him, he was a community person. I was at work the day he died, I couldn’t come and see him because we didn’t know he was going to die that day although he was in intensive care.

“I couldn’t even travel to see him because the hospital weren’t letting anyone in, even if you were on ITUs or were ventilated. Those were the days where no one was allowed in.

“We never had a funeral for my dad, as funerals were restricted; we buried him and we went home. So it means so much for our family to be able to mark his passing today. It’s been the first time we have all been able to say goodbye properly together. So many people laid down their lives and it’s lovely that we get to remember those people in such a touching way, in a way that they deserved.”