Indian-origin cardiac surgeon dies in UK from COVID-19

London: An Indian-origin cardiac surgeon who had tested positive for the novel COVID-19 has died at a hospital in Cardiff in the UK, where a number of medics have lost their lives on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jitendra Kumar Rathod, Associate Specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW), was described as an “incredibly dedicated surgeon” by his National Health Service (NHS) workplace.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board posted a tribute to the medic, who had studied for his medical degree in India, and said “Jitu” will be missed greatly after he passed away on Monday.

“Jitu had worked in the Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery since the mid-1990s and came back to UHW in 2006 after a brief stint abroad,” the board said.

“He was an incredibly dedicated surgeon who cared deeply for his patients. He was well-liked and greatly respected by one and all. He was a very compassionate and a wonderful human being,” the tribute read.

The Board added that his commitment to the hospital’s special facility had been “exemplary”. Rathod, whose age remains unconfirmed, is survived by his wife and two sons.

He is among a growing number of medics who have lost their lives on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic across UK hospitals, where the COVID-19 death toll mounted to 5,373.

Over 208,800 people have been tested in the UK, of which more than 51,600 have tested positive, including the country’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

According to Johns Hopkins University, there are over 1.34 million confirmed coronavirus cases across the world and over 74,000 people have died from the disease.

The US has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world at 364,723, followed by Spain (136,675), Italy (132,547) and Germany (102,453).