Two minute's applause to mark year anniversary today of Covid death of Doncaster hospital doctor

All the sites run by the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals trust will hold a two minute applause in memory of Dr Medhat Atalla, who died on April 22 last year.

A trust spokesman said: “On Thursday 22 April, it will be one year since our colleague Dr Medhat Atalla passed away following a brief but brave battle with COVID-19.

“To mark the occasion, and to show our respects, colleagues at our Trust will observe a two minute round of applause for Medhat at 1pm on all sites on Thursday.

“A hugely popular and respected colleague, Dr Atalla was a very special human being who practised medicine across three continents throughout his career, affecting the lives of so many in such a positive way. He was a truly gentle gentleman and he is hugely missed by us all.”

Dr Atalla was one of two well known staff at the hospital who died of Covid 19 early in the pandemic.

Kevin Smith, a plaster technician at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, also died after being diagnosed with Covid 19.

Mr Smith died at the hospital where he had worked for nearly four decades. He was responsible for applying casts to patients with broken limbs. Hospital chief executive Richard Parker said at the time: “He will be missed beyond all measure by everyone at the Trust."

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been nearly 900 Covid deaths in the town.

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