Tributes have been paid to a “loving and kind” GP from Bury who “gave everything for the community”, who has passed away after contracting Covid-19.

Dr Saad Al-Dubbaisi was working at Garden City Medical Centre in Ramsbottom before his death on Sunday, May 3, having been “very poorly” for a number of weeks, according to his local NHS trust.

The 59-year-old worked in Bury for almost 20 years and lived in Walshaw with Monah, his wife, and two daughters who are both themselves doctors, according to the Bury Times, who spoke with his family.

His daughter Zainab told the local paper Dr Al-Dubbaisi was born in Iraq, graduating from Baghdad Medical College in 1983 and later moving to the UK.

“Dr Saad Al-Dubbaisi was the most loving and kind husband and father, he will forever be in our hearts,” she added.

“Wherever he worked he spread kindness and warmth with his gentle smile and big heart, and was loved by his patients. We will miss him always.”

Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE worked with Dr Al-Dubbaisi at BARDOC, an out-of-hours healthcare service for local communities, and described his friend and colleague as “a kind, humble gentlemen who was trying to make a difference”.

“He had an unforgettable personality for whoever he touched and came across,” Dr Chauhan told the PA news agency.

“I was just chatting to one of the directors who was there before me and they were telling me how he used to step in at the last minute when we really struggled and someone was off.

“He was really, really well-liked … on Sunday mornings he would bring cakes and things for the staff – a really nice gentleman.

“He was really humble, very kind and a GP who cared about the wider society … he gave everything for the community.”

Regarding the loss of a fellow health professional during the pandemic, Dr Chauhan added: “It brings home the reality of the sacrifices being made.”

Dr. Jeff Schryer, local GP and chair of NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “Dr. Al-Dubbaisi cared for generations of the same families from his practice in Holcombe Brook for many years, he will be sorely missed by his work family and patients.”