Indian-origin doctor in UK, working during Covid-19 pandemic, found dead in hotel

Rajesh Gupta was found dead on Monday afternoon in the hotel where he had been staying to protect his family while he worked during the coronavirus pandemic. The cause of his death was yet to be determined, said the NHS Trust where he worked.

Rajesh Gupta, an Indian-origin doctor working in the United Kingdom, was found dead in a hotel earlier this week where he was staying to protect his family from coronavirus.

Gupta had gained medical qualifications from Jammu University in 1997, moved to the UK in 2006 and was working as a specialist pain medicine and consultant anaesthetist .

Many medical staff have been living away from homes while working in hospitals as the National Health Service grapples with the pandemic. As of Thursday evening, there have been 37,837 deaths and 269,127 cases in the UK.

The Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust on Friday paid tributes to Gupta, who was working in its hospital near London.

“Rajesh, who worked as a consultant at Wexham Park Hospital, was found dead on Monday afternoon in the hotel where he had been staying to protect his family while he worked with us during the coronavirus pandemic. At this stage the cause of his death is not known”.

“Rajesh was a popular and well-known figure across the trust, described by colleagues as an outstanding clinician with a passion for pain medicine. He had recently been appointed to a substantive post at Wexham after working for a period as a locum consultant at Frimley Park”, the trust said.

Colleagues described Gupta as a gifted poet, painter, photographer and cook who was known for his enthusiasm and kindness. He wrote several books and contributed to a number of publications.

The trust added: “He will be greatly missed. On behalf of the whole trust we would like to pass our deepest condolences to Rajesh’s family and loved ones, including his wife and young son. This news has come as an enormous shock to Rajesh’s immediate colleagues and we are supporting them at this difficult time”.

Besides Gupta, the grim list of Indian heritage doctors and nurses dying during the pandemic include Jitendra Kumar Rathod, Manjeet Singh Riyat, Krishan Arora, Rajesh Kalraiya, Pooja Sharma, Jayesh Patel, Vivek Sharma, Kamlesh Kumar Masson, Amarante Dias, Sophie Fagan, Hamza Pacheeri and Amrik Bamotra.

EOM