Dr Farooq Arshad dies at 40, fundraiser tops £72,000 — Derby Telegraph

derby telegraph reports that Dr Farooq Arshad, a Royal Derby Hospital doctor, died suddenly after a cardiac arrest at his home in Littleover on Sunday, May 10. He was 40. His death left behind his wife, Farhat Fatima, and their three children.

A fundraiser set up by Dr Anser Ali raised more than £72,000 in just days from more than 700 people. The money was collected after Arshad’s death to support Fatima and the children, including one child who is non-verbal and autistic.

Dr Anser Ali and Dr Mubeen Salik

Ali said he had known Arshad through mutual friends and colleagues from medical college in Pakistan, and that they met in Derby after Arshad moved to the UK from Pakistan following the pandemic. Arshad initially worked in the South before moving to Derby once restrictions began to ease.

Salik said he had been a close friend of Arshad since 2014, giving the loss a personal weight among the doctors who worked with him and saw him regularly outside the hospital. Ali said, "We met up for dinner with some friends, and I remember instantly thinking, 'This guy is so innocent and nice'."

Friday Night in Derby

Ali also said, "We've pretty much been best friends ever since. Every night after work, we'd go for dinner and walk around the area for an hour or so - we saw each other every day." He added, "He wouldn't hide anything, but he was incredibly kind."

In the days before his death, Arshad was with Ali for dinner on Friday night and had planned to join a group of friends to protest in London on Saturday. Ali said Arshad cancelled the trip to stay with his family, then died at home the following day.

Farhat Fatima and the children

Ali said, "During this extremely difficult time, we are coming together to support him and his family in any way we can," and described Arshad as someone who was "incredibly respected in his field and by everyone who knew him at the hospital." He also said, "He was generous, kind, and I never heard anyone say a bad word about him."

Fatima now faces the immediate task of caring for three children, including one who is non-verbal and autistic, while the fundraiser provides the family with money already gathered from a wide circle of colleagues, friends, and others who responded within days.