Islamabad: Pakistan’s renowned infectious diseases expert and physician Dr Naseem Salahuddin has passed away after suffering critical injuries in a road accident in Morocco, where she had travelled to attend a World Health Organization related summit, family members and close associates confirmed on Friday.
Her death was confirmed by her brother, noted Pakistani physicist and scientist Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, who said he was deeply devastated over the loss and unable to speak in detail due to grief.
“She is no more with us,” Dr Hoodbhoy said briefly while confirming the tragic development.
According to family members, Dr Naseem Salahuddin met with a serious road accident in Morocco on Wednesday and was shifted to a hospital where she underwent multiple surgeries. However, despite efforts by doctors, she could not survive her injuries.
Dr Naseem Salahuddin was regarded as one of Pakistan’s leading experts in infectious diseases and had recently retired from Indus Hospital & Health Network in Karachi, where she served as Head of the Infectious Diseases Department. Over several decades, she earned immense respect within Pakistan’s medical community for her clinical expertise, research and commitment to treating infectious diseases affecting vulnerable populations.
She was widely known for her work on rabies, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and remained actively involved in public health awareness, medical education and training of young healthcare professionals throughout her career.
Besides her medical contributions, Dr Naseem Salahuddin was also deeply involved in welfare and educational initiatives for underprivileged segments of society. Colleagues and public health experts described her as a compassionate physician who dedicated her life to serving marginalized communities and improving awareness regarding preventable infectious diseases in Pakistan.
Her death has triggered an outpouring of grief and condolences from doctors, scientists, academics and public health professionals across the country, many of whom termed her passing an irreparable loss for Pakistan’s healthcare sector and infectious diseases community.
Health experts recalled that Dr Naseem Salahuddin played a key role in raising awareness about dog bite prevention, rabies management, antimicrobial resistance and infectious disease control at a time when such issues received little public attention in Pakistan.
Funeral arrangements and further details regarding repatriation of her body were not immediately available.