Sadeq Al Howsh worked tirelessly for 17 years to protect the public until he contracted the novel coronavirus that took his life this week.
Dr Al Howsh, 58, originally from Libya, was an orthopaedic surgeon with St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
He died at Whiston Hospital in the British city of Liverpool on Monday after testing positive for coronavirus.
The doctor was given a standing ovation by hundreds of his colleagues, NHS staff and patients, who stood outside Whiston Hospital, as his hearse departed the building.
A round of applause was heard as they bid farewell to their beloved colleague and member of the community.
Friends and colleagues remember Dr Al Howsh as a hard working and talented surgeon who had always took matters in his own hands to help others.
Speaking to the BBC, Ravi Gudena, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the trust, said "nothing was ever too much trouble for Sadeq".
"He was always there to help anyone and was happy to do whatever was needed to help his colleagues and patients," Dr Gudenea said.
Ann Marr, the trust's head executive, said her former colleague was "without doubt, a much loved member of the team".
Dr Al Howsh's colleagues have set up a fund-raising page to support his family.
His family described him as a loving husband and father to four sons who will be dearly missed.
"We cannot put into words the depth of our loss. He loved his work and was dedicated to supporting his patients and his colleagues."
They asked the public to give them privacy and time to grieve his death.
"We are extremely appreciative for all the kind words and messages we have received," they said.
Dr Al Howsh was born in Tripoli in 1961. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tripoli in 1987 and worked at the Tripoli Central Hospital until 1992 before moving to the UK.
The British Ambassador to Libya, Nicholas Hopton conveyed his condolences to Dr Al Howsh’s family.
“We thank him for all he did for our NHS, and the many other Libyans doing the same. Are thoughts are with his family,” Mr Hopton said on Twitter.
Dr Al Howsh joined the hundreds of NHS and private healthcare staff, from heart surgeons to nurses, porters and volunteers, who have lost their lives to the coronavirus in the UK.
There has been a growing concern over the lack of protective garments for those working on the front lines fighting the disease.
The UK has more than 140,000 confirmed cases and 18,738 hospital deaths.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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UAE v Gibraltar
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Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
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- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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