Community members shocked after the death of a young London doctor

Image by MyLondon/Family Handout

A well-respected Croydon doctor, who died after a heart attack at the age of 42, has been receiving tributes from members of the community who knew him. 

Dr Rizwan Irshad’s death came as a shock to his family and friends. He worked as a lead GP or the out of hours service in Croydon and was an active member of the Purley Mosque, MyLondon reports.

He complained of chest pain upon waking up in Friday, 10 March and died shortly after. Dr Irshad leaves behind his wife and their two children – an eight-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter. 

In an interview with MyLondon, his wife said that the NHS had “lost a gem” and informed how dedicated he was towards his job and patient-led care. 

She told MyLondon, “He always thought of his patients. He really, really wanted what was best for his patients. He treated people how he would want his own family members to be treated.

“What was really amazing about my husband is that some people who I’ve talked to since he passed, they maybe only had a 10 minute conversation with him. But that 10 minute conversation they remembered because he gave them attention. He gave good advice, and above all, he has faith and our faith is more important than anything.”

She added, “They’re accepting that this is God’s plan. And we believe in the afterlife and so we hope we’re going meet him again in paradise.

“He was a fantastic dad and a fantastic husband. Even just down to the little things, like making sure my water bottle on the bedside table was full. He would do the grocery shopping on a Saturday but he would individually choose each fruit for the children.”

Dr Irshad grew up in Newton Abbot, in Devon and moved to London for work as the Regional Medical Director for Croydon and Greenwich, and to be a part of the big Islamic community of the city. He was an active member of the community as a football coach to young players and fundraised for Purley Mosque. 

Nadeem Ali, a friend who knew him through the mosque and work told MyLondon that he was shocked to learn of his sudden death. He told MyLondon, “He was somebody who was quite fit and healthy. He went to gym several times a week, he was a football coach at the mosque. He was a devoted family man and dedicated doctor.

“Everyone was in absolute shock when we heard the news of his death. We thought it must be a mistake, it must be someone else. Its causing people to re-evaluate their whole lives. The idea that someone age 42 could die like this is such a shock.”

After his death, a fundraiser was organised where an amount of £66k was raised in a few days, with over a 1000 people who came forward to donate. “It just shows how many people loved him and that he touched during his work as a doctor and at the mosque,” Ali added.