Dr Naseem Salahuddin, a renowned infectious diseases expert and professor emeritus at Indus Hospital, passed away on Friday.

According to information available on the hospital’s website, she was serving as the head of its infectious diseases department.

The Indus Hospital also expressed its sorrow over the passing of Dr Salahuddin.

In a statement, it said that Dr Salahuddin had been associated with the Indus Hospital since November 1, 2007, and “remained a beacon of dedication, compassion, and excellence in the field of healthcare and infectious diseases”.

“Her lifelong commitment to patient care, medical education, and humanitarian service greatly contributed to strengthening the mission of providing quality healthcare, free of cost, to those in need,” the statement said.

It added that Dr Salahuddin also played a pivotal role in raising awareness and advancing efforts towards a rabies-free Pakistan, stating that her “relentless work in the prevention and treatment of rabies saved countless lives and brought national attention to an often-neglected public health challenge”.

Dr Salahuddin graduated from Fatima Jinnah Medical College in 1967 and obtained certification in internal medicine from the United States in 1977.

The website stated that Dr Salahuddin had also been a member of the World Health Organization’s Expert Advisory Panel on Rabies since 2004.

Dr Salahuddin was also a prolific writer, contributing to various scholarly journals and news outlets, including Dawn. She also authored books.