KARACHI, May 19: Dr Abdul Haque was born in Delhi in 1934. He wanted to be an engineer. But he changed his mind and opted for medicine when his mother died for want of timely medical attention.

He qualified from the Dow Medical College in 1960 and joined the famous Heart Clinic of Prof Qasim in Ward 10 of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Dr Haque’s association with Prof Qasim involved him in the planning of cardiac catheterisation laboratory of the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD). Dr Haque was sent to the USA for training in the sub-specialty where he also acquired the knowledge of operating the heart lung machine. His training was curtailed so that he could return to Pakistan to assist Open Heart Surgery at the NICVD. He remained associated with the NICVD as in-charge of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory till his retirement.

Dr Haque was self-taught as cardiologist and interventionist with a passion for teaching and training. He trained hundreds of professionals, doctors and technicians in the art of cardiac catheterisation and angiography. His beneficiaries were the Angiography Units of Civil Hospital, Mid East Hospital, Liaquat National Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital, National Medical Centre and the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases. He provided his expertise of training to institutions willingly, selflessly and without a fee.

Perhaps the biggest attribute of Dr Haque was treating patients without any concern for their ability to pay. In fact, he provided free care to two-thirds of his patients in the private clinics and in all the hospitals he was associated with. During his tenure at the NICVD, he did over 80% of the angiography without charging the patients. I cannot remember anybody in the private sector who has given so much of his expertise without charging the patients. Dr Haque will be remembered forever for this exemplary charity to hundreds and thousands of patients.

The engineer in Dr Haque would show up on a daily basis. He was the first to do right heart studies, and running of pacemaker clinics in Pakistan. He would often guide engineers of multinational manufacturers of cardiology equipment with suggestions that would be incorporated in future models of the machines.

Dr Haque’s formal association with the SIUT dates back to the early 1980’s when the SIUT embarked on its programme of Renal Transplantation. He was the first and later emeritus cardiologist for the recipients, kidney donors as well as staff of the SIUT. For his enormous contribution to patient care, Dr Abdul Haque was given the title of a visiting professor of the SIUT. He began his weekly consultation of patients at the SIUT on Friday afternoons. Prof Haque also inaugurated the Angiography Unit of the SIUT in July 2002.

Dr Haque abhorred any publicity and praise. He was a self-effacing and unassuming person given to very simple living. His day invariably started with angiograph in the early afternoons and then clinics running past midnight. Invariably, 70% of the patients would be seen free. I cannot recall in my association of over 40 years that he would not agree to see the patient the same day. There was no tomorrow as regards the patient.

Haque Sahab as he was affectionately known has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people – patients, their relatives and doctors who were touched not only by his expertise and compassion.

He was a man of few words and yet convinced and consoled thousands who sought his help. He suffered a heart attack which required angioplasty and emergency cardiac surgery but before the treatment began, like a master clinician he quietly told his family “ my innings is over “.

The author is the director of SIUT