Abdul Malik (physician)

Abdul Malik (1 December 1929 – 5 December 2023) was a Bangladeshi cardiologist and National Professor of Bangladesh. He was the first cardiac surgeon of united Pakistan. He was the founder of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh. In 2004, he was awarded Independence Day Award, the highest state award by the government of Bangladesh for his contribution to medical science.

Early life and education
Abdul Malik was born on 1 December 1 1929 in the present-day Dakshin Surma Upazila are of Sylhet district in the then British India to Moulavi Furqan Ali and Syeda Nurunniea Khatun. He earned his MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College in 1954. He then joined the Pakistan Army Medical Corps in June 1955. He was then trained in the United Kingdom.

Career
In 1966, Malik set up a cardiac unit at Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

The first open heart surgery in Pakistan was performed in March 1970 in this cardiac unit. For this achievement, he was awarded nationally and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He joined the Institute of Post Graduate Medicine and Research, Dhaka (now Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University) in June 1970 and established a cardiac unit there. He served as Professor of Cardiology there from 1970 to 1978.

In 1978, Abdul Malik founded National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Dhaka where he worked as a professor until 1989. The first open heart surgery in Bangladesh was done on 18 September 1981 in this institution.

In 1978, Abdul Malik founded National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh. He served as the president and advisor of the foundation.

Malik was the founder president of Bangladesh Cardiac Society from 1980 to 2005, SAARC cardiac Society, and a member of the Expert Panel Committee of World Health Organization (WHO) on cardiovascular disease during 1976–2000.

Malik was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons, American College of Cardiology and American College of Chest Physicians.

Personal life and death
Malik was married to Ashrafunnesa Khatun, a social worker. Together they had one daughter, Fazilatunnesa, a professor of cardiology and Senior Chief Consultant at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute in Dhaka, and two sons, Masud Malik, an industrialist, and Manzur Malik, a researcher working in Canada.

Abdul Malik died in Dhaka on 5 December 2023, at the age of 94.

Awards

 * Independence Day Award 2004, Highest state award by the government of Bangladesh (for contribution in Health Education and Medical Science)
 * National Professor, 2006, by the government of Bangladesh (for contribution in health education and medical science)
 * Sandoz Gold Award, 2008, by Novartis Bangladesh