Celebrated haematologist Dr Tahir Shamsi passes away

President Alvi offers condolences

KARACHI:

Renowned haematologist Professor Dr Tahir Shamsi passed away on Tuesday, he was 60.

Dr Shamsi was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for a brain haemorrhage and had been on a ventilator for the past few days. He is survived by two sons, three daughters and his widow.

A pioneer of bone marrow transplants in Pakistan, the doctor performed the first transplant in the country in 1995 after returning from the United Kingdom. 

Born on February 18, 1962, he memorized the Holy Quran at the age of eight and graduated in 1988 from Dow Medical College, Karachi.

He received his postgraduate degree from the UK and his higher education from the Royal College of Pathologists.

In 2011, Dr Shamsi also established the National Institute for Blood Disease (NIBD) for the treatment of blood-related diseases.

He was known to be an outstanding physician, scientist, dean and professor of medicine, clinical haematologist, and bone marrow transplant specialist.

Read Journalist par excellence M Ziauddin is no more

The doctor had also appealed to the federal government during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic to treat patients with plasma therapy. More than 200 covid patients have been treated with plasma therapy in Pakistan. 

In 2019, Dr Shamsi was requested by the Punjab government to be part of the medical board treating former premier Nawaz Sharif. After he accepted, the doctor was added to the board and was part of the team of medical professionals who treated Nawaz while he was in Pakistan. 

Dr Shamsi authored seven books and was the editor of several haematology journals. He has more than 43 research papers published in international journals.

President Alvi expressed his condolences on the demise of the renowned doctor and prayed for the departed soul and strength for his family to bear the loss.

صدرِ مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی کا معروف ماہر امراضِ خون، پروفیسر ڈاکٹر طاہر شمسی، کے انتقال پر اظہار افسوس

اہل خانہ سے اظہارِ ہمدردی اور صبر جمیل کی دعا pic.twitter.com/UapGEfIbMs

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) December 21, 2021

The president took to his official Twitter hand to state that Dr Tahir Shamsi had rendered outstanding services in the field of medicine and research.

“The deceased will be remembered for his services in bone marrow transplant and other leukaemia treatments”.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that Dr Shamsi was a symbol of service and the federal government should recognise his services with a national award. 

Funeral prayers of Shamsi were offered at Najam Mosque on Tipu Sultan Road and were attended by thousands of people, including political leaders. He was laid to rest at the Yousufpura RCD Road graveyard.