Tributes have been paid to a “hugely respected” south London GP who died suddenly earlier this month.
Dr Rizwan Irshad, Regional Medical Director for Croydon and Greenwich, unexpectedly passed away aged 42 on March 10.
As well as being a dedicated GP, Dr Irshad oversaw care for 45,000 patients at six practices across both boroughs. More recently, he led the out of hours GP service covering the whole Croydon borough, based in Croydon University Hospital.
He also played an active role in the local community, including as a football coach to young people and as a key contributor to building Purley Mosque and its community.
Omar Din, managing director of primary care for AT Medics told the Standard: “Rizwan was a hugely valued colleague and friend to so many of us. He put all his heart into patient care and was always working on ways to improve the lives of the people we look after.
“He was a true professional and gentleman, and went out of his way to support his colleagues. We will all deeply miss Rizwan.”
Dr Mayank Agarwal, Clinical Lead for Emergency Care at Croydon Hospital, said: “It was a privilege to have worked with Rizwan during his time at Croydon Health Services. His contribution to both our Trust and the wider GP community in Croydon, was always professional, compassionate and with the best care for his patients in mind at all times.
“As a co-worker he was kind and considerate, full of energy, and always supported colleagues with sound opinion and expert advice.
“He was hugely respected and will be dearly missed.”
