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| Sir Dr Sheikh Jalal sahib |
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.
