UAE: After frantic calls from cancer patient’s family, doctor leaves Iftar to join family at hospital – News

Woman cried for medical help for her father, says practitioner who ended hunger strike with dates and water and went back to work

A doctor was preparing an iftar meal when he received a call from a patient. He broke his fast with just a date and some water and rushed to the hospital, dropping everything to care for a patient who was diagnosed with cancer after some tests.

At 6.30pm, Prof. Humaid Al Shamsi, Head of Medical Oncology, Burjeel Medical City, enjoyed Iftar at the table with his family. He was ready to break his fast when he got a call to change his schedule, causing him to rush back to work.

“I didn’t get the call [the first two times[, but I received it the third time. The lady on the other side was weeping, and seeking for medical help,” said Dr Al Shamsi.

It was a daughter, distraught about her father being in uncontrollable pain and requiring urgent medical attention. Dr Al Shamsi enquired about their location, and requested that they reach the hospital as soon as possible. He offered his maghrib prayer, and reached the hospital to attend to the patient.

When the 59-year-old patient, along with his family, reached the hospital, Ruchika Thadicaren, a general practitioner at Burjeel Hospital Sharjah, and Nurse Shilpa, attended to them. “When they reached the hospital, we conducted preliminary tests and found lesions in the liver,” said Dr Al Shamsi.

Dr Al Shamsi said that the daughter was worried as her father did not have insurance – “but we had to attend to the patient and subside [the] It hurts to take the medicine,” he explained.

Although Dr Al Shamsi works in Abu Dhabi, he lives in Sharjah, which meant the drive all the way back was even more tiring for the dedicated doctor, who finally arrived home at 6pm. “When on duty, we have to be present. [Regarding the] break in [of my] Quick—God will reward me,” said the surgeon.

After more tests, medical staff “confirmed that the patient had liver cancer, and [we looked] into the patient’s medical history,” Dr. Shamsi said.

At present, the patient has been admitted to the ICU, and further treatment is underway. “The next day we performed a couple of operations on him and took a biopsy and he came back three days later. [revealing] He has stage 4 colon cancer. “

Dr Al Shamsi urged residents to undergo regular medical checkups to detect and treat cancer. “It is very important that people undergo regular health checkups so that this deadly disease can be detected and cured early,” concluded Dr AL Shamsi.