The wife of a frontline doctor who died of Covid-19 told of her pride at her husband's role in the fight against the pandemic.
Varsha Washimkar lost Sudhir, 61, after he caught the virus on May 9 while on shift as head of the accident and emergency ward at Burjeel Royal Hospital in Al Ain.
On Monday night, seven frontline workers who died were recognised by the country's leaders.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, personally called Varsha and other relatives to thank them.
Their loss was marked with a tribute from the Emirati community who vowed to “never forget their sacrifice”.
Sheikh Mohamed said he wanted to help me and my family forever, and that he was my brother now
Dr Washimkar, from Nagpur, India, died on June 6, leaving behind his wife and two sons, Siddharth, 29, and Rahul, 25. All three are doctors.
“I took the call from Sheikh Mohamed just after 6pm, he was very gracious – I cannot tell you what it meant to me to receive a call from His Highness,” said Dr Varsha, who is a medic at the police medical centre in Al Ain.
“He thanked me and my family, which we appreciated so much.
“Sheikh Mohamed said he wanted to help me and my family for ever, and that he was my brother now.
“I am so blessed to receive this call. I never thought in my life I would speak with such a great person."
Dr Washimkar joined Burjeel Royal Hospital, run by VPS Healthcare, in 2018 as a specialist in internal medicine.
He had moved to the UAE 10 years earlier and worked at NMC Specialty Hospital in Al Ain, where he moved up the ladder to become the head of the emergency room.
“Sheikh Mohamed said he was very proud of the work Dr Sudhir had done in the UAE and the dedication to his profession and the sacrifice he made,” Dr Varsha said.
“My boys are dealing with things OK, they are doctors in nuclear medicine and general medicine back in India.
“When I told them about the phone call they were also very proud that such a big leader would talk to us.
“Because their father is here, they both want to live here also and Sheikh Mohamed said he would help with that.
“This is our home and we will never leave this beautiful country."
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
ORDER OF PLAY ON SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - 4pm (UAE)
Gael Monfils (15) v Kyle Edmund
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Magdalena Rybarikova
Dusan Lajovic v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 - 4pm
Adam Pavlasek v Novak Djokovic (2)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Gilles Simon
Angelique Kerber (1) v Kirsten Flipkens
Court 2 - 2.30pm
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Marcos Baghdatis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Christina McHale
Milos Raonic (6) v Mikhail Youzhny
Tsvetana Pironkova v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
