Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Doctor who refused to leave patients dies of Covid-19
This isn’t a time for cowards, he told colleagues and relatives:
HEARTBROKEN colleagues of a consultant at a Bristol hospital have paid tribute to him after he died of Covid-19.
Dr Gamal Osman was one of the leaders of the team treating hundreds of Covid patients at Southmead Hospital but caught the virus himself and died on Thursday, following a lengthy battle in intensive care.
A fundraiser set up by his colleagues to help his family – he leaves a wife Manal, 45, and seven children – has raised more than £50,000 in less than 24 hours, with those behind the appeal saying they are amazed at the response.
They said Dr Osman lost his brother to Covid last September, but despite many friends, colleagues and relatives trying to persuade him to transfer to a different department, he chose to go back into the Covid wards at Southmead.
“Memorably, he rallied his colleagues by saying ‘This isn’t a time for cowards’,” his colleagues said.
A tribute to Dr Osman, 63, was posted by those who worked alongside him in the fight against coronavirus described him as “generous, calm and an extremely popular member of the Acute Medical Team”.
The tribute, from Prashanth Mamilla, Rina Adhikary, Ella Chaudhuri, Nigel Lane, Kiaran Flanagan and Louise Powter, said Dr Osman was well aware that he was high risk of Covid-19 being serious for him, if he contracted the virus, but refused to leave his colleagues.
“Gamal was a long-term locum consultant at North Bristol NHS Trust for the last two years and could always be relied upon to offer a helping hand, was always smiling and kind to everyone around him,” they said.
“Gamal was generous, calm and an extremely popular member of the Acute Medical Team.
“We are all aware that Covid poses a higher risk to BAME and older patients. At the age of 63, Gamal was well aware of this risk, particularly as he lost his brother to Covid in September 2020.
“Despite this tragedy, many conversations with friends, colleagues and relatives trying to persuade him to minimise his risk and despite his awareness of the risk involved, he was committed to continuing to care for acutely unwell patients with Covid. Memorably he rallied his colleagues by saying: ‘This isn’t a time for cowards’,” they added.
Dr Osman, who was known by colleagues as ‘Ozzy’, was from Birmingham, and worked as a locum consultant in acute care all over the country, including at Liverpool’s main hospital, in Birmingham and for the past couple of years, at Southmead Hospital.
Just months after his brother succumbed to the virus, Dr Osman contracted Covid-19 himself, three weeks before the vaccine was introduced to the frontline staff on his ward. He spent weeks battling the virus in hospital, and in intensive care, before he died.
Within hours, his devastated colleagues set up a fundraising page for him, and it has already passed £57,000.
“This is amazing,” said Rina Adhikary, one of the acute team at Southmead. “We didn’t dare to hope that we’d get to this amount in a week, never mind an evening. Thank you so much to everyone who’s donated and shared.”
Dr Prashanth Mamilla explained why they set up the page, and why they wanted to support Dr Osman’s family.
“His passing is devastating to all of his colleagues, but even more so to his wife and seven children who now have to deal with both the trauma of bereavement and with the financial
We are all aware that Covid poses a higher risk to BAME and older patients. At the age of 63, Gamal was well aware of this risk, particularly as he lost his brother to Covid in September 2020 COLLEAGUES’ TRIBUTE
burden it now places on them,” Dr Mamilla said.
“Gamal was the sole breadwinner for his family. Six of his children are under 20, with the youngest being only seven years of age. As such they are completely dependent on his earnings to support their day-to-day subsistence, education and rental of the family home.
“His friends and colleagues were constantly hoping that he would beat the odds and survive this disease, but sadly this has not come to pass. We would like to repay the generosity that Gamal showed and embodied every day by trying to help his family through this difficult time,” he added.
“If you have encountered Gamal in your working life or if you just want to help and feel that you would be able to contribute to the wellbeing and financial security of his wife and children we would urge you share this and consider donating whatever you feel appropriate,” he said.
To find out more about Dr Osman and donate to the fundraising page for his family visit https://www. gofundme.com/f/to-help-dr-gamalosman-while-on-icu-for-covid
A second fundraising page, set up by members of his family, is raising money for his funeral costs. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/drgamal-hassan-osman-funeral