A retired NHS doctor who continued to work at a hospital part-time has died after contracting coronavirus, his family said.
Dr Alfa Saadu, 68, who worked part-time at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn, is said to have contracted Covid-19 before his death earlier this week.
Paying tribute to Dr Saadu, his family said he worked for the health service for several decades and said: "As soon as you spoke to him about medicine his face would light up."
His son, Dani Saadu, told the Huffington Post: “He was a very passionate man, who cared about saving people.
“He worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years in different hospitals across London.”
It is reported that Dr Saadu had not been working on the frontline fighting the coronavirus pandemic when he contracted the virus.
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt called the doctor’s death “tragic”, adding: “When this is over, we must never forget people like Alfa Saadu.”
The trust Dr Saadu worked for before his retirement also paid tribute to him.
Lance McCarthy, chief executive of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “It is with sadness that we learn of the passing of Dr Alfa Saadu.
“Alfa was well-known at the trust for his passion for ensuring our patients received high-quality care.
“He was a committed member of the team and is remembered fondly by many.”
