Surgeon killed by Covid-19 was DOUBLE-JABBED, wife says lost battle nine weeks after catching the virus

A hero surgeon who died of Covid-19 while saving patients on the frontline was double vaccinated but is not believed to have had a booster jab, his family has revealed.

Grieving widow Saila Halim said Dr. Irfan Halim, 45, had his first shot last year and a second in January but passed away at Royal Brompton Hospital on November 14 at 7.51 pm.

But she said she did not think he had a booster before he died surrounded by his heartbroken relatives following a nine-week battle against the virus.

Mrs. Halim also told how the devoted family decided not to tell him his father Kamal, 75, also a doctor died in another London hospital from Covid.

He had also been double vaccinated but died of coronavirus at Northwick Park Hospital, North London, on September 24.

Dr Halim’s death comes as daily Covid cases in the UK continue to rise while hospital admissions fall and deaths remain flat.

There were 46,807 positive tests in the last 24 hours, which is the highest number since October 22 and a 10 percent increase last Thursday.

Dr. Irfan Halim, 45, who earned widespread praise for his work, passed away at Royal Brompton Hospital in London on November 14, surrounded by his heartbroken family.

He went to work on September 10 but never returned after catching coronavirus and becoming increasingly ill. He is pictured with his children

Mrs. Halim said: ‘My husband worked away from London and I’m not sure which vaccine he received but he was double vaccinated and always wore full PPE when he was on the wards.’

Fighting back the tears, she continued: ‘He never said anything about getting the booster and I don’t think he got one.

‘It makes you question the efficiency of the vaccine but now is not the time for me to think about these things because I’m so heartbroken.

‘It’s a double tragedy for the family and we are in too much pain to consider anything else.’ His death came two months after he had taken up work on the Covid intensive care unit wards at Great Western Hospital, Swindon.

He is believed to have contracted the virus here before collapsing during a shift on September 10.

Dr Halim, a laparoscopic surgeon, lived apart from his family for four months while working with Covid patients there at the height of the pandemic.

He was thought of as a medical powerhouse and described by colleagues as like ’10 men in one body’ after treating 250,000 patients throughout his career.

After initially being treated at the Swindon hospital, he was transferred to the Royal Brompton on September 26. He had extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment to help him breathe as he bravely fought the virus.

According to Dailymail, Mrs. Halim, 44, recalled her husband’s last day when he was surrounded at his bedside by her and their four children; Zara, 13, Adam, 12, Zain, 11, and Alisa, five. Dr. Halim’s brother, sister, and mother were also with him.

His heartbroken widow went on through tears: ‘I held him in my arms and whispered prayers and love. We have lost our hero. He was an incredible husband, father, and son. He was a best friend to the whole family.

‘We all feel empty and I’m not coping. He was my life, my world, my everything. Nothing could have prepared us for this.’

She recalled how her children had decorated his hospital room and spoke to him every day, either during visits or video calls at Swindon and in London.

She said: ‘I was convinced that our love would pull him through. And even when he was in the hospital, he was being his happy, loving self. He would play chess via video calls with our son and even dealt with work matters.’

He trained in general surgery with sub-specialisation in laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery on the North Thames Higher Surgical Rotation.

The medic completed his specialist training in GI surgery at UCL Hospitals, with additional specialist training in cancer surgery at the Royal Marsden Hospital. He won numerous awards and in 2014 became a fellow to the Royal College of Surgeons England.

He was also qualified in law and has a master’s in surgical technology from Imperial College London as well as an MBA from the US. He previously worked as an NHS consultant surgeon at West Hertfordshire NHS Hospitals Trust and the North East London NHS Treatment Centre from 2016.

Dr. Halim moved into full-time private practice and worked on day case procedures including gallbladder, hernia surgeries, and cosmetic skin procedures.

During the pandemic, he was shuffled onto the wards to help battle the virus and save lives at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Despite the dangers of working on the Covid frontline, Mrs. Halim insisted she never tried to stop her husband, even though they had four young children.

She said: ‘He was an incredibly gifted and dedicated doctor, right up until the very end. He always put his patients first and continued to support them after their treatment.

‘Sometimes I would get very frustrated because it always felt as if he was in the hospital or working on medial matters.

‘But he was a compassionate, caring man who made a real difference to people’s lives. I never tried to stop him from working with Covid patients because that was his life; caring for people.’

She said she met Dr Halim in 2003 at an ice-skating rink, where he was her instructor before moving into medicine.

She said: ‘I met my best friend and that was the person I went on to marry. The 18 years we were together were the best of my life and I will cherish them forever. The world has lost an incredibly caring human being.’

The couple married in 2006, with them going on to have four children, which Mrs. Halim homeschooled with her husband’s help.

Dr Halim qualified from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals Medical School in 2000 with prizes and distinctions. He trained in general surgery with sub specialisation in laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery.

The medic completed his specialist training in GI surgery at UCL Hospitals, with additional specialist training in cancer surgery at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

He won numerous awards and in 2014 became fellow to the Royal College of Surgeons England. He was qualified in law and has a master’s in surgical technology from Imperial College London as well as an MBA from the US.

He previously worked as an NHS consultant surgeon at West Hertfordshire NHS Hospitals Trust and the North East London NHS Treatment Centre from 2016.

But Dr Halim moved into full-time private practice on the prestigious Harley Street and worked on day case procedures including gallbladder, hernia surgeries and cosmetic skin procedures.

He had one of the highest volume practices in Britain, with about 300 new patients arriving monthly and him operating on more than 1,200 people.

Mrs Halim said earlier online: ‘Irfan you gave me fifteen magical years as your wife, four beautiful children, wonderful memories that will last me until my remaining days in this world.

‘You gave 25 dedicated years service to the NHS working as a Consultant General Surgeon. Irfan you were not only my best friend but a best friend to all our children and so many others.’

A former colleague added: ‘Being a fighter, he never gave up. He kept believing he would recover. He didn’t smoke or drink and was someone who just helped people all the time.’