Healthcare hero: Dr Adib Rizvi gets BMJ honour for lifelong dedication

Karachi: Renowned Pakistani surgeon and humanitarian, Professor Dr Adib Rizvi, has been honoured with the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Special Recognition Award for his remarkable services to healthcare and medical science in South Asia.

The BMJ, a well-known UK-based medical publication with over 100 years of history, presents this award each year to individuals and institutions making exceptional contributions in the medical field.

The award was presented during a recent ceremony held in New Delhi. Dr Sanjay Nagra, Co-Chair of the BMJ Advisory Board, paid tribute to Dr Rizvi by reading the award citation. He praised Dr Rizvi for creating a healthcare system in Pakistan that is fair, free, and accessible to all, regardless of social or economic background. He also appreciated Dr Rizvi’s efforts in building a model based on cooperation between the government and community.

Dr Nagra accepted the award on behalf of Dr Rizvi, who addressed the audience through Zoom. In his message, Dr Rizvi thanked BMJ for recognising his work and also praised the journal’s role in promoting medical research and education.

He urged the editorial board to support similar healthcare models in the region, like the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), which he helped establish. He stressed the need to put aside political differences for the benefit of underserved communities.

The SIUT, started over five decades ago at Civil Hospital Karachi, has grown into one of Pakistan’s leading medical institutions, focusing on urology, nephrology, and transplant-related care.

The event also featured remarks from Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, a leading paediatrician from Pakistan, and Kamran Abbasi, Editor of BMJ, both of whom joined the ceremony online.