India’s celebrated cardiologist and former Director of
Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences,
Dr Sheikh Jalal-ul-Din passed away in the wee hours of Saturday at New Delhi’s
Institute of Medical Sciences, after battling the grave injuries that
were caused to his person in a shootout outside his Pampore residence,
last month.
(SKIMS).
According to Medical Superintendent of the All
India Institute of Medical Sciences, D.K. Dr Jalal passed away at 8:30
am on Saturday.
Dr Sheikh Jalal was targeted by
unidentified gunmen at Pampore, on July 18, where he had gone to see his aged mother.
Two
cops, on security duty of Dr Jalal, were killed while Jalal suffered
multiple injuries including the one in his left eye and other in
abdomen.
He was rushed to SKIMS, in a highly critical
condition and after going through many sensitive surgeries; was shifted
to New Delhi for advanced treatment, where he breathed his last Saturday
morning.
No militant group, however, claimed responsibility for
the attack. The police were also looking into whether the doctor was the
actual target or just his guards.
64 year Dr. Sheikh
Jalal was a highly acclaimed cardiologist and was known world over for
his experience and knowledge in the field of Medical Science, especially
the field of cardiology.
Personal physician of late Sheikh
Muhammad Abdullah and his wife, Dr Jalal was known for the works he
under took for patients care at SKIMS.
During the height
of militancy, courtesy the lobbyism that has been eating the otherwise
prestigious SKIMS, a vicious campaign was launched against
Dr Sheikh Jalal and
his detractors, mostly from within the SKIMS did everything to malign
him. However, he demonstrated enough courage in withstanding the
campaign launched against him and did not oblige his detractors who
wanted him to be out of Kashmir. Unmindful of the nefarious designs of
his adversaries, Dr Jalal never stopped attending to his duties at
SKIMS, which was then a hub of militants. Exposing his life to grave
dangers, Jalal would reach his SKIMS clinic early morning and till late
evening remained busy in attending to his patients, mostly poor people
coming from far off places. He for all purposes acted as a messiah for
his patients who otherwise would have been left unattended.
During
his tenure as
Director the SKIMS that was in a big mess witnessed
progressive changes and he ensured that work culture was brought back
in the institute and doctors working there were made accountable. It
was during his tenure that SKIMS got equipped with latest machines like
the CT scan, the MRI and others. The emergency medical fair price shop
in SKIMS was also started by him.
Dr. Sheikh Jalal, who had
earned a doctorate in
Cardiology, from AIMS, was
vice president of National Board of Examinations, New Delhi. The board, parallel to
Medical Council of India, awards specialized degrees in various
medicinal fields. Serving in SKIMS, he headed Cardiology department for
over one and a half decade before taking over its reins where he retired
after almost two and a half years.
Dr. Sheikh Jalal’s sad
demise has widely been mourned by the cross section of Kashmir society
and has been termed as an ‘irreparable loss’ to the noble profession he
belonged to.
“
Dr.Sheikh Jalal’s death is a huge loss to the
entire nation. He was a
well known cardiologist and it happened a bit
early as he could have served people for much longer time. I had gone to
see him at AIIMS only a couple of days back and now I m not only sad
but aghast over his nature of death. Many people would be now deprived
of his valuable services,” said former
Director SKIMS, Dr. Hameed Zargar.
“
Dr. Sheikh Jalal was a nice colleague apart from being a
well known cardiologist who served for decades to the people of valley.
He never left a patient without utter care and used to serve people even
on weekends. He served the
SKIMS during time when the whole valley
witnessed unstable conditions,” he added.
Minister for
Health Education, Taj Mohi- Ud-Din said, “I am really shocked to hear
this news and I personally mourn his death. He was a valuable asset to
the people of state in terms of best cardiologist and I don’t know how
we will cope up this loss. I knew him from last 25 years and as a
cardiologist, he was perfect to carry forth the vision of late Sheikh
Abdullah.”
“It is an irreparable loss and the void created
thereby can’t be fulfilled by any means. We have lost an Icon whose
credentials and calibre was par excellence,” Field Doctors Welfare
Association Kashmir said in a statement.
Meanwhile
Field Doctors Welfare Association Kashmir deeply regrets the demise of eminent
cardiologist and former Director SKIMS, Dr Sheikh Jalal-ud-din. Indeed
it is an irreparable loss and the void created thereby can't be
fulfilled by any means. We have lost an ICON whose credentials and
caliber were par excellence.
