One of Afghanistan's greatest minds in the field of medical sciences died Thursday evening at the age of 85 after a battle with an illness.
Dr. Sayed Alef Shah Ghazanfar, born in the Kalangar district of Logar province in 1927, was one of the chief innovators for Afghanistan's medical services.
Having studied at the American University of Beirut for eight years and in the United States for two years, Dr. Ghazanfar endeavored to improve the training of the young medical doctors of Afghanistan.
He donated the set up and equipment of the biochemical laboratory at Kabul University's medical faculty following his research in Beirut. He also freely set up the serum-making facility of Ali Abad Hospital which provides serum to all hospitals of Kabul, and donated an air-purifying machine that was long used in the operating theatre of Ali Abad.
Dr. Ghazanfar, who wrote more than 40 medical science books in his lifetime, is also attributed with laying the foundations of Afghanistan's public health system, nursing schools, and was a strategist and consultant for medical services across the country.
Following a heart attack in 2009, he lost his sight.
In July 2009, Dr. Ghazanfar was given the Higher Government Medal of Sayed Jalaluddin Afghan in recognition of his work by the former Minister of Public Health Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatemi and former Minister of Higher Education Dr. Mohammad Azam Dadfar.
Further recognition came after the Kabul Institute of Medical Sciences and the library at Kabul Medical University was named after him.
Dr. Ghazanfar was remembered by former students not only for his intellect but for his kind and warm manner. He was also well-liked for his tendency to "stray" from the curriculum in his lectures, telling students his personal reflections and experiences with anecdotes of sacrifice, patriotism and kindness.