21 April 2020

UK's first Sikh A&E consultant, dies from coronavirus in hospital where he worked

A 'hugely respected' A&E consultant has died in the hospital he worked at after contracting coronavirus.

Manjeet Singh Riyat, 52, died in the Royal Derby Hospital, where he became the first A&E consultant from the Sikh community in 2003.

Chief executive of the hospital, Gavin Boyle, paid tribute to the trailblazing doctor.

He said: "I want to pay tribute to Mr Manjeet Riyat, who has sadly passed away. Mr Riyat, known to his colleagues as Manjeet, was a widely respected consultant in emergency medicine nationally.

"Manjeet was the first A&E consultant from the Sikh community in the country and was instrumental in building the Emergency Medicine Service in Derbyshire over the past two decades.

"He was an incredibly charming person and well loved. Manjeet knew so many people here across the hospital, we will all miss him immensely." 

A fellow consultant at the hospital, Susie Hewitt, described him as an 'enormously valued and much loved colleague'.

"He was a powerful advocate for the sickest patients and was well known for his fair, no-nonsense approach," she said.

She highlighted his unique ability to boost morale of patients and staff within the hospital adding: "Manjeet could be relied upon to lift the mood with his dry humour and sense of fun.

"For many, Manjeet was considered the father of the current emergency department in Derby and many more will reflect on how his inspiration has shaped their own careers."

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine paid their respects on Twitter.

"We're deeply saddened by the loss of Mr Manjeet Riyat, a colleague and consultant at @UHDBTrust. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues," they wrote.

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