RVH heart doctor’s family launch prize for junior doctors
THE family of a distinguished cardiologist have announced a new prize in his memory for junior doctors in Belfast.
Pakistan-born Dr Mazhar Khan first came to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital in 1978, helping to revolutionise treatment for heart patients here.
A prominent member of the Islamic community in Belfast, he passed away last June at the age of 76.
He became the leading interventional cardiologist in Northern Ireland at a time of many groundbreaking treatments.
During the Eighties, he was among the first in the province to use an inflating balloon method to widen arteries. In 1990, he implanted the first automatic cardiac defibrillator in Northern Ireland, a device used to correct irregular heartbeats. Dr Khan’s family have now announced a new medal in his name to be awarded to the top junior cardiologist in the Royal Victoria Hospital each year. Illustrating Dr Khan’s famous approach to challenging treatments, the medal will have the Latin inscription “Dum spiro spero” (While I breathe, I hope).
Living as he wished his patients to, he was a keen walker and avoided smoking, fried food and stress.
Yesterday, the Belfast Islamic Centre congratulated Dr Khan’s family on the new medical prize.
“He was universally respected and admired, and he enriched the lives of all who met him. He is very much missed by all at BIC,” the centre said.