Abdul Chowdhury, the latest doctor to die of coronavirus, warned PM Johnson to provide NHS workers with adequate PPE.
A British doctor who warned United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson that health workers on the front line did not have enough personal protection equipment (PPE) has died of COVID-19.
Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, a 53-year-old consultant in the urology department at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Romford, worked for the NHS for more than 20 years after migrating from Bangladesh.
He died on Wednesday aged 53 after spending 15 days in hospital.
On 18 March he wrote a message to Boris Johnson asking him to “urgently” ensure PPE 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”.
Dr Chowdhury was a locum urologist who worked at Homerton Hospital in east London and died on Wednesday at Queen’s Hospital in Romford after testing positive for coronavirus.
In a Facebook post on March 18 directly addressing Johnson, Chowdhury urged the prime minister to provide PPE for “each and every NHS health worker in the UK”, as he called for him to fast-track testing for medical staff.
Doctors, nurses and other workers who are in direct contact with patients were trying to help, he wrote, “but we are also human beings [with] human rights like others [trying] to live in this world disease free with our family and children.”
While he appreciated moral support being given to NHS workers, “we have to protect ourselves and our families and kids in this global disaster crisis by using appropriate PPE and remedies,” he said.
“I hope we are by default entitled to get this minimal support for our safe medical practice.”
“Dr Chowdhury started talking about the [coronavirus] issue from the very beginning, asking why the British government and other European countries weren’t taking rigorous and strict measures to control it.
“He was worried developing countries like Bangladesh will be the worst victim of this crisis because of economic issues and improvised healthcare issues,” said Pavel.
Chowdhury’s death came amid mounting concerns that medical workers are not receiving adequate PPE.
Some have claimed that they have had to share PPE, while reports in UK media suggest some nurses have resorted to using bin bags as aprons.
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