Saudi Arabia has presented a leadership award to a Pakistani doctor for his services as a team leader in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Shahzad Ahmad Mumtaz, over the phone from Riyadh, told Arab News that the Kingdom’s health ministry, in recognition of his services as head of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the King Salman Hospital, had given him a leadership award and appreciation certificate on the country’s national day on September 23.

The Pakistani medic has been working in the Kingdom for the last 18 years and hails from Punjab’s Layyah.

“At the outset of the pandemic, the COVID-19 mortality rate was very high at the King Salman Hospital. That is the reason why I was brought here as the ICU head to increase the hospital’s capacity to deal with the challenge posed by the pandemic,” he said.