Muslim doctor on Queen's Birthday Honours list urges UK govt to help poor families

Muslim doctor on Queen's Birthday Honours list urges UK govt to help poor families
Oxford University Hospitals consultant Dr Raghib Ali received an OBE for his services to Britain's National Health Service (NHS) amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
2 min read
02 June, 2022
The UK is marking Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee amid a cost of living crisis [Getty]

A British Muslim doctor named in Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours list made a tearful plea for the UK government to do more to help struggling families.

Oxford University Hospitals consultant Dr Raghib Ali received an OBE for his services to Britain's National Health Service (NHS) amid the Covid-19 pandemic, during which he returned to the frontline as an unpaid volunteer.

“Growing up, there were days when we would not have food to eat. The chances of a child in my circumstances and getting a job let alone going to a top university like Cambridge were pretty much zero," Dr Ali, 46, told The Mirror.

"The Government must do more to help children who have big dreams but are growing up in poor backgrounds. There are pockets of deprivation in every city across the country."

Speaking about his father, who he lost during the pandemic, Dr Ali said: "He always had high ambitions for his children. He would have been so shocked and amazed to see me get this honour."

Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honours list was announced on Wednesday, in the runup to her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

More than 50 British Muslims, including cricketer Moeen Ali and renowned medical expert Professor Aziz Sheikh, were named in this year's list.