On Thursday 15th October, it was reported that the family of an NHS consultant is facing removal from the UK after the consultant contracted coronavirus himself.
Dr Basem Enany, a consultant cardiologist from Egypt tested positive in September and is currently in intensive care on a ventilator since the last two weeks at a Yorkshire hospital. He tested positive of the virus whilst treating Covid-19 patients and has been further diagnosed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare complication of some viruses, and reportedly has breathing issues. Enany had been working as a locum consultant at York teaching hospital NHS trust. His contract was due to come to an end in November and his current work visa expires at the beginning of December. Before he fell ill, he was working on new job applications and was planning to renew his visa, as he, his wife and their four daughters, the youngest of whom is only four years old, are all settled in the UK. Now, they are all facing removal from the UK.
Dr. Enany’s friend Sanjay Gupta who is also a consultant heart specialist at York. started a GoFundMe page for Dr. Enany who is the sole bread-winner of his family.
Worried about the family, Dr. Gupta wrote in the petition, “In order to be able to stay in this country, Basem's family will need experienced legal aid to help them stay in this country on compassionate grounds. If the visa is extended then it may also help Basem access medical care that may not otherwise be affordable. This process, though is likely to be hugely expensive and possibly even unaffordable. As a friend and colleague, I feel both heartbroken and helpless. Whilst I am worried about Basem, I am equally worried about the future for his wife and daughters.”
Basem is currently stable but still critically unwell. There is a chance that he may be able to regain the ability to breathe without support and gain function of his limbs but there is also a high chance that he may not make it or be left with permanent disability. He is likely to spend several months in intensive care. Dr. Gupta’s petition has already raised over £125000 for the family and Dr. Enany.
