Prof. Sajid Usman Kaul, more commonly known as Prof. S. U. Kaul, succumbed to a prolonged fight with lung cancer on 15th March 2009. One week earlier, on Sunday 8th March he celebrated his 68th birthday. The years of his life have been a splendid story of selfless commitment to his profession, family and principles.
Dr Kaul graduated from King Edwards Medical College Lahore in 1964; he proceeded to UK for higher training as was the order of the day. There he served in various levels of responsibility, earned his FRCA (then FFARCS); Professor John Nunn with whom he worked as senior registrar at Middlesex commenting on his competence and ‘exceptionally pleasant’ personality went on to say, ‘…he has distinguished himself in several ways. Firstly, he has shown a most unusual interest in research. On his own initiative he has arranged four research projects, some in collaboration and others essentially working on his own. Two of these have been brought to fruition during nine months working with us and are presently being drafted into excellent papers. The remaining two projects are not yet completed but are progressing well. Secondly, he has shown good organisational ability and has successfully born the brunt of the day-to-day running of our service. Thirdly, he has integrated into the English way of life to a remarkable extent being now more English than the English; I think this indicates a high degree of adaptability to his environment.’
Prof Nunn had not realized Sajid’s sense of duty to the family; he returned to stay with his mother in Lahore, after the death of his father in 1972. He was joined by Valerie Catherine Bartlett; they married on 20th July 1972. He joined King Edwards Medical College Lahore as Assistant Professor Anaesthesia; first posted in Neurosurgical Operation Theatre. He was transferred to Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore in 1978. Prof Ejaz Ehsan, principal and head, department of surgery of that medical college, alongwith other professors of surgery went to see the secretary health, threatening to stay in his office till Dr Kaul was posted in this new medical institution. He was selected as Prof of Anaesthesia and posted at Nishtar Medical College Multan in 1980. He resigned from the job and went into private practice, conventionally not considered the best career move at that time; but then he was not at all conventional.
Dr Kaul had a passion for teaching; he was always available when a colleague needed guidence in patient care, academics or career planning. Many residents would be seen flocking to him with academic queries during the meetings of PSA Lahore. His return to formal teaching occurred in 1994 when he was approached by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP); Lahore was facing an acute shortage of qualified trainers in anaesthesia and CPSP wanted him to supervise the training of residents in Lahore. He agreed to do so; this was the beginning of a new phase in his life and he dedicated most of his time and energies to the development of postgraduate training in anaesthesia. A large number of his trainees are now serving as teachers in anaesthesia within the country and abroad.
He formed Anaesthesia Associates with Prof Shahida Khawaja and Prof Khalid Bashir in 1995; this was a unique model, dedicated to providing perioperative care to the patients and impart postgraduate training in anaesthesia. This organization is now recognized as a symbol of quality in training and service delivery and has been renamed “Kaul Associates” as a humble recognition of his contribution.
He has left behind his wife Mrs Valerie Kaul, three children Pasha, Amna and Mateen and a large number of friends and students. He never worked to build an impressive CV; he was well beyond that, but will continue to live in the hearts and minds of the people who ever came across him.
