Man Sure Passes Away but Memories and Ideas Remain

It is just over a year when the medical and scientist community lost a beloved and respected icon, my friend Prof. Dr. Tahir Sultan Shamsi (Late). Held in admiration and loved by all of us, this kind and humble doctor treated patients, colleagues, students with compassion and expertise. He was truly adored and trusted by all. He started his early carrier in Pakistan as Consultant Hematologist at SIUT and Ziauddin Hospital to eventually begin to lay the ground work for setting up NIBD from few rooms to the first class institute that it evolved into in his later years. He continued his services as Consultant Hematologist & Transplant Physician, Medical Director and Professor of Hematology, at the National Institute of Blood Disease & Bone Marrow Transplantation till the end. Under his dynamic leadership NIBD flourished and metamorphosed into a world class institute for blood diseases and BMT that served all regardless of their financial background, with Prof. Dr. Tahir Sultan Shamsi (Late) arranging funds from public and private sources to ensure that no one suffered. A supremely gifted researcher (229 publications, 133 abstracts, author and contributor of 29 books with an impressive impact factor of 473.345), he spearheaded a dynamic teaching and training program for Post Graduate doctors, nurses and technicians. He supervised 30 FCPS fellows, 15 BMT and 5 Pediatric Hematologist fellows apart from half a dozen PhD fellows. This skilled resource triggered a multiplier effect of setting up BMT in other institutes in Pakistan – a notable change indeed. Member of various scientific and social bodies and on editorial board of various journals, Prof. Dr. Tahir Sultan Shamsi (Late) launched the National Journal of Health Sciences (NJHS) and worked tirelessly to facilitate research and raise standards. It is only his legacy and vision that the Journal is not only recognized by different international indexing agencies and has now been accredited by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The editorial board is indebted to our dear friend and colleague Prof. Dr. Tahir Sultan Shamsi (Late) and would Insha’Allah endeavor to continue in the guiding path set by him. May God bless Him.