Long-serving and well-respected GP, Dr Mohammed Saleem is to retire on 31st March after serving the Burngreave and Fir Vale community for more than 32 years.
Dr Saleem graduated in Medicine in Karachi, Pakistan in 1967 and came to the UK in 1968. His early ambition was to become an Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist, but he later decided he preferred to become a GP.
After working in hospitals in Birkenhead near Liverpool, Bedford and Nottingham, where he was involved in various roles, he came to Sheffield in 1973 and has served the community ever since.
Things have changed a lot since he started work in a surgery on Rock Street:
“In the early days we had very basic rooms and facilities, but over the years the surgery has developed and now has modern facilities, IT systems and increased privacy for patients.”
From Rock Street he moved to 131 Burngreave Road, near the Pitsmoor Methodist Church for twelve years and from there to the Melrose Surgery at 120A Burngreave Road.
The Practice, which has a centre in Shiregreen has over 7,500 registered patients, with 1,500 from the Burngreave community. Dr Saleem has many fond memories of the local community:
“I have myself lived in this locality for over ten years. It is a wonderful and cosmopolitan area and the people are very nice and friendly.”
In his retirement, he plans to spend more time with his family and to look after his grandchildren. He also wants to do some travelling:
“I have relatives all over the world including family members in Singapore, India, Egypt, Pakistan, Cyprus, Norway, France, United States and Puerto Rico who I would love to visit.”
Dr Saleem also has a passion for photography and plans to spend more time on this.
Although he has not ruled out the possibility of locum work in the future, Dr Saleem will be greatly missed by many long-term and loyal patients from the community.
“I would like to thank everybody for giving me the opportunity to work in this community.
“The respect people have given me has kept me going for these many years.”
To give patients a chance to say their farewells to Dr Saleem, an informal gathering is to take place on Friday 31st March at the Melrose Surgery at 10.30am, and 2.00pm at the Shiregreen Medical Centre.
The Messenger, along with the whole of the Burngreave community would like to wish Dr Saleem a very happy retirement.
by Naheem Hanif