A "greatly respected" cardiac surgeon, 58, who had tested positive for Covid-19, has died at a hospital in Cardiff.
Jitendra Kumar Rathod, an associate specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW), was described as an "incredibly dedicated surgeon".
The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board posted a tribute to the medic, who had graduated in medicine in India, saying "Jitu" will be missed greatly after he passed away on Monday (6).
"Jitu had worked in the Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery since the mid-1990s and came back to UHW in 2006 after a brief stint abroad," the board said.
"He was an incredibly dedicated surgeon who cared deeply for his patients. He was well-liked and greatly respected by one and all. He was a very compassionate and a wonderful human being."
The board noted that the surgeon's "commitment" to his work was "exemplary".
Rathod, who hailed from Gujarat, is survived by his wife and two sons.
He was among a growing number of medics who have lost their lives on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic across UK hospitals, where the Covid-19 death toll mounted to 5,373.
Over 208,800 people have been tested in the UK, of which more than 51,600 have tested positive, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are over 1.34 million confirmed coronavirus cases across the world and over 74,000 people have died from the disease.
The US has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world at 364,723, followed by Spain (136,675), Italy (132,547) and Germany (102,453).
