Kashmir-born doctor wins UK's 'Psychiatrist of the Year 2022' award

Dr Afifa Qazi is an alumnus of the Government Medical College, Srinagar and has made a significant contribution to mental health services in the UK.

SRINAGAR (J&K): Dr Afifa Qazi, an alumnus of the Government Medical College, Srinagar, has been conferred with the "Psychiatrist of the Year 2022" award by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, London. It is a highly competitive award given to individuals for their outstanding contribution to mental health. Dr Qazi graduated from the Government Medical College, Srinagar in 1995 and moved to the UK where she began her career in psychiatry.

She currently works as the Chief Medical Officer for a noted mental health organization in Kent and Medway, UK. She has made a significant contribution to mental health services in the UK. Dr Qazi has received several awards in recognition of her work, including the Academic Health Sciences Network Health Innovation Award (2014), and the HSJ Award (2016) for her work on dementia.

Dr Qazi developed an innovative and highly successful model of community care for dementia that minimizes hospitalization. Her work has been recognized internationally by the UK Department of Health and health care organizations in other countries such as Japan, which have studied her methods and replicated them in their services.

She is a sought-after professional at national and international conferences in psychiatry and has several peer-reviewed publications in leading academic journals to her credit. Dr Qazi is working to build partnerships with her fellow professionals in Kashmir to share good practices, and contribute to continuing professional growth and innovation in healthcare delivery.