KARACHI: A prominent Pakistani medical practitioner, Dr. Seemin Jamali, who supervised the largest public hospital in the southern province of Sindh before her retirement in August 2021, passed away in Karachi on Saturday, confirmed by her close relatives in a conversation with Arab News.
Dr. Jamali served as the executive director of Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) during a period when the city experienced bomb blasts and other violent incidents.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the 61-year-old doctor patiently briefed the media after tragic attacks and soon became the most recognizable face at the medical facility.
She lost her battle with cancer at a private hospital in Karachi after several months of illness.
“Dr. Seemin Jamali has passed away today,” confirmed her cousin Yousuf Agha. “Her funeral will be held tomorrow at the JPMC mosque.”
In an interview with Arab News three years ago, Dr. Jamali recalled how she was injured in a blast that occurred at the main entrance of the hospital emergency in February 2010.
However, she returned to her duties the next day, leading a team of doctors to treat patients under her supervision.
“I fell down, and we had to be evacuated from the emergency room,” she said. “However, we came back the following morning and stood there as bravely as we could.”
She expressed that the incident, which claimed the lives of 18 people, would always remain in her memory.
Dr. Jamali also shared it was her father’s wish for her to become a doctor after she completed her studies in 1988, even though she had applied elsewhere and was chosen for three lucrative jobs.
“It was my father’s desire,” she told Arab News. “He told me it was time to repay my country.”
In recognition of her exceptional services in the field of medicine, Dr. Jamali was awarded the Medal of Excellence.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. AR Jamali, and her two sons, Omar and Babar Jamali.
