Saskatchewan Doctor Who Died From COVID-19 Remembered As Joyful And Friendly | The Canadian News

A colleague remembers a Saskatchewan doctor who died of COVID-19 as a joyous spirit with whom it was always nice to be around.

An old friend and medical colleague said Dr. Youssef Al-Begamy died Sunday at a Toronto hospital, where he had been transferred from Saskatchewan late last month and was being treated for the virus.

Dr. Fauzi Ramadan, who lives in Moose Jaw, Sask., Said the worst thing was notifying his friend’s mother and sisters in Saudi Arabia about his death. Al-Begamy, who was a GP and ER in the Regina area, had no immediate family members in Canada.

“He was an excellent person, a very nice person, and a lot of people from all over Canada know him,” Ramadan said.

He said he spent the entire day Monday taking phone calls from people in British Columbia and across Saskatchewan who worked with Al-Begamy.

“He is loved by all his colleagues. He is a person who had no problem with anyone, and everyone says that Youssef was a good person, and that was his character, ”Ramadan said.

“His spirit was quite cheerful and pleasant, and he was a happy person.”

The Islamic Association of Saskatchewan and the Moose Jaw Mosque planned to hold a special prayer for Al-Begamy on Monday night.

Ramadan, who was arranging for Al-Begamy’s body to be sent back to Saudi Arabia, also asked people to pray for his longtime friend and colleague.

Neither the Saskatchewan Health Authority nor the health minister confirmed the death, citing provincial privacy laws.

However, Health Minister Paul Merriman offered his condolences.

“Anyone who has suffered a loss in their family due to COVID-19 is tragic. It’s not an easy situation, ”Merriman said Monday.

“I really wish we didn’t have to deal with this in our province, and I wish everyone would get vaccinated, because it would really minimize the impact of COVID on our health.”

The latest figures from Saskatchewan show that 18 of its residents are still in treatment in Ontario’s intensive care units.

Another 191 people are in Saskatchewan hospitals with COVID-19.

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