ENT consultant Amged El-Hawrani, 55, who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, died at Leicester Royal Infirmary, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) said today.
Its Chief Executive Gavin Boyle paid tribute, saying: “Mr El-Hawrani, known to his colleagues as Amged, was an extremely hard working consultant and ear, nose and throat trainer who was well liked in the Trust and particularly at Queen’s Hospital Burton where he worked.
“He was known for his dedication and commitment to his patients. He had also raised funds for the hospitals, including climbing in the Himalayas with a group of friends some years ago. The whole UHDB family are desperately saddened at losing Amged who was such a valued and much loved colleague.
“On behalf of everyone here at UHDB, including our patients and the communities we serve, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family.”
Mr El-Hawrani’s family issued a statement saying: “His greatest passions were his family and his profession, and he dedicated his life to both.”
The statement continued: “Amged reached the very top of his profession and we know he made a difference to thousands of lives during his career.
“He viewed his role as a doctor as one of life’s most noble pursuits.”
The family said hospital staff “worked tirelessly for their patient, as he would have done for his own”.
Doctors’ Association UK said: “Doctors hold a vocation for everything that they do and feel a strong moral duty towards their patients. The dedication of NHS staff in this pandemic knows no bounds. However the government must recognise this commitment to the NHS and ensure doctors are adequately protected when putting themselves in harms way.”
Dr Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, said: “As a medical professional of course I’m very saddened by the fact that one of our professional colleagues has passed away. It clearly is a worrying event, it’s worrying for the nation because it’s another death in our statistics, it’s another loss to a family, and it will be a loss to an NHS family as well.
“I think for NHS staff on the front line, and our caring staff, it’s not just in our health services, it’s all people who are battling against this virus, they will inevitably be concerned, and some of the work that we’re doing around communications, and around personal protective equipment, is to just try and ensure there is a common understanding between us of the support that is there for them.
“It is in no one’s interest that we lose our colleagues on the front line and we really really want to support them.”
Also on PPE, she said: “We do have some new guidance coming out for colleagues in the NHS shortly. And I’m hoping that will help to support them in their work on the front line.”
