Tributes have been paid to an inspirational Southport Hospital consultant who was left severely injured after contracting Covid-19.
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Mr Sanjeev Sharma has helped tens of thousands of women in the North West through their pregnancies and births.
In December last year he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in the annual Southport and Ormskirk hospitals’ Time to Shine staff awards.
A Southport and Ormskirk NHS Hospital trust spokesperson said: “Very deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of our much-loved and recently retired obs and gynae consultant Mr Sanjeev Sharma who died yesterday.
“He was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award at our Time To Shine Awards last December.”
Paying tribute on the hospital’s Facebook page, Katie Langley said: “RIP to Mr Sharma and deepest condolences to his family.
“Mr Sharma will always be in the heart of my family after saving my life in 2009.
“A man who truly cared for his patients, each as a person not a bed number.
“Sir, you will be missed by many. Xx”
Nicola Coulton said: “Oh Mr Sharma, such a lovely kind man, from an early age he calmed and reassured me right up until my last birth, I’m so grateful to him.
“Such sad news for this hard working kind gentleman. Much love to all the family he will be fondly remembered by many x.”
Charl Howard said: “So sad… he helped so many families including myself… to work all those years then to finally retire to enjoy life then this happens it’s so sad.. but to get the award he did and for his wife to know how well thought of he was will give her some comfort .. RIP Mr Sharma x”
Olivia Birch said: “A very special human who helped me have our first born daughter… always will be deeply grateful R.I.P ..deepest condolences to the family and friends x”
Mr Sanjeev Sharma, who contracted Covid during the first wave of the pandemic, nearly died from his ordeal and has subsequently lost his sight.
He received his Lifetime Achievement Award from Executive Medical Director Dr Kate Clark at the online ceremony broadcast to staff and their families in December last year.
Dr Clark said: “I’ve learnt from the unprompted warmth with which colleagues talk about him, that he is a man held in huge esteem by all those who knew and worked with him.
“It is said he could hardly walk down a corridor without people stopping him to say hello!
“Perhaps it was because he helped so many of them over the course of his long career – and few forgot his kindness and approachable manner.”
The consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, from Formby, joined what would become Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust in 1992 after being a senior registrar in Liverpool.
Using his close links with the city, he developed a first-class fertility service at Ormskirk Hospital that made dreams come true for many hundreds of couples.
Mr Sharma, who retired in summer last year after being struck down with Covid-19 in March 2020, joined the ceremony remotely with his wife Deepali. Their daughter Iona thanked his colleagues on behalf of the family.
Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson said: “I am so sorry to learn of the passing of Sanjeev Sharma.
“He was a wonderful friend to many of us who knew him and a hugely respected hospital consultant, dedicated to his patients. Above all, Sanjeev was a loving husband and father and my thoughts are with Dee and Iona. Rest in Peace”.
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