Dr Karen Woo helped thousands of people in Afghanistan before she was shot dead
(Picture: Supplied)The mother of a British doctor murdered by terrorists while carrying out medical work in Afghanistan has spoken of her pride after a London university launched an awards scheme in her memory.
Dr Karen Woo, 36, was shot dead alongside nine colleagues by militants while on a medical aid mission in Nuristan in August 2010. She had been delivering vital healthcare to more than 1,500 civilians as part of a three-week expedition organised by Christian charity the International Assistance Mission.
University College London, where Dr Woo studied medicine, will launch an awards scheme in her memory. As part of the scheme, a healthcare professional from Afghanistan will receive £1,000 to spend time in a UK medical centre to acquire knowledge and skills that can be used on their return. It could also support a medic from the UK to spend time in Afghanistan and provide teaching and training.
Her mother, Lynn Woo, told the Standard she was proud her daughter’s legacy was being recognised.
“Karen herself often had to rely on funding and grants for extra help during her studies, so she would be very pleased. I also think she would be proud that this is going to would-be doctors, as this is about helping somebody to help others.”
Professor Narinder Kapur, a visiting professor of neuropsychology at UCL who devised the scheme, has already donated £10,000 towards the award. He told the Standard he hoped to “keep Dr Karen’s name and her story alive”.
“This is somebody who went out of her way to help patients,” he said. “And what did she get in return? The most horrible death you could imagine.
“We want to recognise the sacrifices she made and the lessons we can learn from those sacrifices.”
Dr Kapur said he also hoped the grant would raise awareness of the health issues blighting Afghanistan, which fell under Taliban control last year.
“It is in our interest to make sure that there is good healthcare in other parts of the world,” he added.
The award scheme was established in partnership with the UK Afghan Health Professionals Association and UCL Hospitals Charity.
