Eminent hematologist Dr Shamsi passes away

KARACHI: Renowned Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) surgeon and hematologist Prof Dr Tahir Shamsi passed away on Tuesday morning during treatment at the Aga Khan Hospital after suffering brain hemorrhage on Thursday last, family members and hospital officials said. He was 61.

“Dr Tahir Shamsi, who was under treatment at the Aga Khan Hospital after suffering brain hemorrhage on Thursday, breathed his last on Tuesday (today). He was a Hafiz-e-Quran and pioneer of Bone Marrow Transplant in Pakistan, who performed the first BMT in 1996,” Athar Sultan, brother of Dr Tahir Shamsi, told The News on Tuesday.

President Arif Alvi, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho as well as senior medical professionals and people from all walks of life expressed their sorrow and grief over the sad demise of Dr Shamsi, who performed over 650 bone marrow transplants in Pakistan and trained dozens of experts who are now treating patients of Thalassemia and other genetic blood disorders in Punjab and other parts of the country.

“Prof Dr Tahir Shamsi was a mentor of mentors in Pakistan and an authority on blood disorders. He was a world-renowned personality, who trained scores of experts, who are now serving the patients in Pakistan and other countries of the world,” Dr Saqib Ansari, a BMT surgeon, said.

Dr Shamsi had also pioneered the concept of plasma therapy during the first wave of the Covid-19 epidemic in Pakistan, he said, adding Dr Shamsi founded the National Institute for Blood Diseases in 2011 to treat patients suffering from blood-related ailments.

He was also a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. The Dow Graduates Association of North America presented the distinguished doctor with a lifetime achievement award in 2016 in acknowledgment of his contributions.