Sunil Inderraj Handa
BMJ 2016; 354 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i3908 (Published 15 July 2016) Cite this as: BMJ 2016;354:i3908
- Sudhir Handa
Sunil Inderraj Handa moved from Kenya to the UK to pursue a medical degree and career. He worked in haematology laboratories as a medical laboratory scientific officer to pay his way through university, as under the residence criteria he was not eligible for a grant; this led to a lifelong commitment to haematology. As an undergraduate he also received many prizes and scholarships to help towards his university education. After qualifying he moved to the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith Hospital for his early training in internal medicine.
This was followed by a Medical Research Foundation research fellowship in Edinburgh and a senior registrar post at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. Sunil was appointed as a consultant at Sandwell Hospital, one the youngest in his specialty in the West Midlands. He moved to the larger unit at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton 10 years later, to pursue participation in national trials for haemato-oncology and develop his interests in haemoglobinopathies and paediatric haematology. He also pursued his interest in medicolegal aspects of medical records and obtained an MBA from the University of Wolverhampton’s business school.
Outside medicine Sunil was a keen bridge player and an avid follower of the Archers and all current affairs programmes on his favourite, Radio 4. After retiring early he became a governor of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital foundation trust to improve the experience of patients, particularly as he had experience of the other side—for his bipolar disorder and his final illness. He leaves his wife, Alka, who supported him throughout his career and illnesses, and his siblings.
Retired consultant haematologist (b 1957; q Leicester University 1982; FRCP Lond, FRCP Ed, MBA, FRCPath), died from complications of oral cancer on 7 March 2016.