Leading infectious diseases specialist and professor emeritus at Indus Hospital, Dr Naseem Salahuddin, has died in a tragic road accident in Morocco, her family said, in a sudden loss that has shocked the medical community.
Dr Salahuddin, who had recently retired after a long career in medical service, had travelled to Morocco to attend a World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting, according to family sources.
She was widely respected in medical circles for her work on rabies, tuberculosis and antimicrobial resistance, with colleagues describing her contributions as significant in shaping public health response in these areas.
Doctors and health professionals across the country expressed grief and sorrow over her passing.
In a statement posted on X, the Indus Hospital & Health Network said its Board of Directors, President, CEO, and Dean of the Indus University of Health Sciences, along with the wider organisation, expressed “profound sorrow” over her passing.
The hospital said Dr Salahuddin had been associated with the network since November 1, 2007, and described her as “a beacon of dedication, compassion, and excellence in the field of healthcare and infectious diseases”.
It said her lifelong work in patient care, medical education and humanitarian service strengthened the institution’s mission of providing quality healthcare free of cost to those in need.
Dr Salahuddin was also described as a strong advocate for public health who played a key role in awareness and efforts toward a Rabies-Free Pakistan, with the hospital saying her “relentless work in the prevention and treatment of rabies saved countless lives and brought national attention to an often-neglected public health challenge”.
The statement added that her wisdom, humility and dedication had inspired colleagues, students and healthcare professionals, leaving behind a legacy that would continue to guide future generations.
It said condolences and prayers were with her family, colleagues, students and all those she had worked with or treated, adding that her legacy of service and compassion would live on in the lives she touched.
She graduated from Fatima Jinnah Medical College in 1967 and later obtained internal medicine certification from the United States in 1977.
She had also been a member of the WHO’s Expert Advisory Panel on Rabies since 2004.
Over her career, she contributed to medical journals and newspapers and authored many books on health and medicine.