Sudanese-British consultant Amged El-Hawrani is UK’s first frontline doctor to die of coronavirus

Amged El-Hawrani, a frontline NHS consultant has died after testing positive for coronavirus. The Midlands doctor, who was an ear, nose and throat specialist at Queen’s Hospital Burton, is the first frontline worker in the UK to die after contracting COVID-19, the NHS said.

The 55-year-old Sudanese/British ENT consultant died Saturday night at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester. Gavin Boyle, chief executive at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB), said: “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 at the trust and particularly at Queen’s Hospital Burton where he worked.

“Amged played a leading role in the merger between the hospitals in Burton and Derby and helped bring the two clinical teams together. He was keen to support colleagues outside of ENT and was well known across a wide number of departments.

“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.”

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “My deepest condolences are with Amged’s family at this extremely sad time. The NHS is a family and we all feel deeply the loss of any of our colleagues, as we all continue to unite and work together to tackle the spread of coronavirus, I know that the whole of the NHS and the public we serve will want to extend our sympathies to the El-Hawrani family.”

He added: “Nobody can be in any doubt about the scale of the challenge we face with this virus, and Amged’s death is not just an individual human tragedy but a stark reminder to the whole country that we all must take this crisis seriously, which means everyone abiding by the government’s clear instructions to stay indoors, self-isolate, keep strictly to social distancing advice and practise good hygiene, which means washing hands more often and for longer.”

Dr El-Hawrani’s 18-year-old son Ashraf also paid tribute to his father. He said: “Most of my dad’s time was dedicated towards his family, and the rest of that time was dedicated towards his profession.

“He taught me the significance of respect and equality. He also stressed the importance of not worrying about the things I cannot control, which he displayed to me right up until the end of his life.

“He did not seek the praise and approval of others, he was satisfied by viewing the positive effects of his actions and the wellbeing of his family. I am incredibly proud to say that for 18 years of my life, Amged El-Hawrani was my father.”

Dr El-Hawrani’s death comes after that of NHS surgeon Adil El Tayar whose death from coronavirus in the UK has also been confirmed.

The number of people to have died with the coronavirus in the UK has reached 1,019, as of Saturday. There have been another 260 deaths, up from 759 on Friday, government figures cited by BBC on Saturday showed. The UK now has 17,089 confirmed cases.