An Indian-origin cardiac surgeon who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus has died at a hospital in Cardiff in the UK, where a number of medics have lost their lives on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jitendra Kumar Rathod, associate specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW), was described as an "incredibly dedicated surgeon" by his National Health Service (NHS) workplace.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board posted a tribute to the medic, who had studied for his medical degree in India, and said the 58-year-old "Jitu" will be missed greatly after he passed away on Monday.
"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 tribute read.
The Board added that his commitment to the hospital's special facility had been "exemplary".
Jitendra Kumar Rathod is survived by his wife and two sons.
He is 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 the country's 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).
UK's Foreign Student Policy Backfires: Indian Enrollments Drops 20% Indian Students Being Put Off Applying To UK Universities: Report Dominica To Award Its Highest National Honour To PM Modi AR Rahman, Wife Saira Announce Separation After 29 Years Of Marriage Air India Flight From Paris Diverted To Jaipur, Fliers Sent To Delhi On Bus "Exposed": BJP Alleges Bitcoin Scam In Maharashtra Poll, Supriya Sule Reacts Maharashtra Assembly Election: Security Tightened Ahead Of Voting Day Uttarakhand Polls: 75% Booths Webcast, GPS Tracking For Election Vehicles All About Sean Duffy, Donald Trump's 2nd Cabinet Pick From Fox News Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.