Abdul Mabud Chowdhury leaves behind his wife and two children after succumbing to coronavirus

A doctor has died from coronavirus, three weeks after begging the Prime Minister for more personal protective equipment for frontline staff.

Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, passed away after 15 days in Queens Hospital, Romford, east London. He is one of 17 NHS medics to have lost their lives since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Last month he wrote to Boris Johnson calling on him to ‘urgently’ make sure ‘each and every NHS worker in the UK’ had access to personal protective equipment. He said staff ‘are in direct contact’ with coronavirus patients and have a ‘human right like others to live in this world disease-free with our family and children’.



The locum urologist at Homerton Hospital in east London had recently celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary. Paying tribute in a statement The Muslim Doctors Association said: ‘He leaves behind his wife and two children. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Two weeks before his admission to hospital he wrote a message to the Prime Minister urging for better PPE. May he rest in peace.’


The 53-year-old senior consultant pleaded with Boris Johnson for more PPE

Dr Chowdhury said medics have a ‘human right like others to live in this world disease-free’

It comes after photos emerged of three nurses wearing bin bags on their shifts due to a shortage of equipment.

Just weeks ago, the nurses had shared a photo of themselves with clinical waste bags on their heads and feet as they issued a plea for proper masks, gowns and gloves at Northwick Park Hospital, in Harrow north-west London.

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The hospital previously declared an emergency situation after all of its critical care beds were filled with patients.

This week the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) warned a diminished supply of vital equipment is placing an unnecessary level of danger on pharmacists.

He passed away after a 15 day fight in Queens Hospital, Romford, East London

An ambulance service worker wears personal protective equipment at St Thomas’ Hospital in London (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

RPS director of pharmacy Robbie Turner said pharmacists had been told to buy their own PPE from wholesalers, which have been either out of stock or charging expensive prices.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told Metro.co.uk: ‘We are working around the clock to give the NHS and the wider social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak.

‘Every single hospital, community pharmacy and ambulance trust has now had a PPE delivery. Yesterday we delivered over 30 million items of PPE to NHS Trusts in England, and over the last few weeks, over 600 million items of PPE have been delivered, including masks, gowns, aprons and gloves.

‘The full weight of the Government is behind this effort and we continue to work closely with industry, social care providers, the NHS, NHS Supply Chain and the Army so all our NHS and care staff have the protection they deserve.’

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