Dr Zulfiqar works as a hospitalist in internal medicine and is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Missouri. She oversees the admission of all patients to the hospital.
“It was definitely overwhelming and scary,” she said, explaining how things felt when the pandemic hit. She recalled that PPE and surgical masks were hardly available at first as she and her team worked on the front lines in close contact with many at-risk patients.
Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, both Dr Zulfiqar and Dr Ahmed went to medical school in Pakistan before moving to Chicago in 2014. In July, they will move to Memphis, Tennessee, where Dr Zulfiqar will pursue becoming a rheumatologist and Dr Ahmed will begin practicing as an oncologist at the University of Tennessee.
For now, they just are happy to be spending time with their baby, Ruhan.
“It’s amazing,” said Zulfiqar, on having her first child. “We’re both in no-sleep mode, but it’s totally worth it.”
Dr Zulfiqar’s advice for the Jamat is that “social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation. It is important we continue to check on and speak to the most vulnerable in our Jamat, especially the elderly, and make sure they continue to do well.”
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Healthcare Hero - Dr Beenish Zulfiqar
Dr Beenish Zulfiqar and her husband Dr Bilawal Ahmed were recently reunited after two years of long-distance marriage — then Covid-19 hit during Dr Zulfiqar’s third trimester of pregnancy. Feeling responsible to her team and her job, Dr Zulfiqar continued working right up until her baby was born in early April.
