S1 Ep13: Professor Shakeel Qureshi | Paediatric Cardiologist | Rising through obstacles to save lives

PROFESSOR SHAKEEL QURESHI is an award-winning paediatric cardiologist who has dedicated his life to serving children born with heart abnormalities. He has saved the lives of countless children both here and around the world. He has published over 170 papers, several reviews and book chapters. He has masterminded the development of key-hole procedures so that children avoid open heart surgery. He works tirelessly around the world on his mission to reduce the knowledge gap between doctors in the NHS and their colleagues in poorer countries. Amongst his many awards, in 2004 he was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the highest civil award by the Pakistan Government for his services to Medicine. He is involved in countless charities including Chain of Hope which provides lifesaving surgery for children with cardiac disease around the world. On the 70th Birthday of the NHS, Professor Qureshi was named as one of the 70 stand-out stars of the NHS.  But his journey has not been easy. He has faced roadblocks and racism throughout his career. It was sheer determination and dedication that propelled him to rise against the negative voices. Join us as he talks openly about the challenges he faced and how he overcame them.  Please note, this episode was filmed before the pandemic.  If you have any suggestions or would like to share your story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram and facebook, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website www.freshheartproject.com.  Remember, be kind to yourself and small, sustainable steps create great change.