For many, Dr.Riaz Ahmad was a messiah. They believed that he had a cure for every disease. The unassuming doctor performed medical miracles in a quiet manner and with a graceful modesty. And that is how he died, quietly and with a grace. I myself have been a great admirer of late Dr Riaz Ahmad. I came to know about his death very late, probably after two months of his demise. And when I went to his place to express my condolences with his son, also a doctor, I found the one overflowing clinic almost empty. I was stunned. I sat on a chair and was soon lost in memories of days gone-by.  One would consider oneself lucky to find a seat in the vast more than 50-seat hall – here I am only referring to the gents’ section, the women’s section has equal number of seats as well – during the days of Dr. Riaz Ahmad. Patients used to get themselves or their dear ones examined by Dr. Riaz Ahmad. (The clinic staff used to issue number cards to `first-come first served` was maintained and observed in letter and spirit.

Dr. Riaz Ahmad was a complete discipliner and firm believer in equality. In his clinic, all were equal. No one could make his way to his room on the basis of his or her status or authority. All had to wait for their turn. Once during the government of Nawaz Sharif, two employees of the Prime Minister’s House rushed to the clinic of Dr. Riaz Ahmad and requested him to accompany them to examine Mrs Nawaz Sharif, who was not feeling well. Dr. Riaz Ahmad expressed regret, saying he could only leave the clinic when he had attended all patients present there as they have greater right on his time. Understandably, the employees from the Prime Minister’s House did not like this and were visibly annoyed.

Dr. Riaz Ahmad’s patients belong to all sections of society. Former resident Rafiq Tarar was also his admirer and patient. But Dr. Riaz Ahmad would only go to the Aiwan-e-Sadr to examine the ‘royal’ patient after he had finished his commitments in his clinic. Though he was a man of few words, but he had strong feelings for his patients. This explained patients’ deep trust and blind faith in him and in his God-gifted ability to cure them of their ailments. Dr. Riaz Ahmad’s specialization was not confined to one field. Patients with varied diseases, some in hopeless condition, flocked to his clinic in search of cure. It would not be fair to make a statement about the percentage of such cases cured or otherwise, but there was no denying the fact that patients of all sorts found an aura of cure and remedy’ in his clinic It was amazing that how Dr. Riaz Ahmad could diagnose his patients within a minute or so, if not in seconds. With six patients sitting in a row in front of him and a long queue waiting outside the door, Dr. Riaz Ahmad had to be extraordinary quick in examining his patients. And that he did in remarkably short time and that too with marvelous accuracy. One has to be a genius to do all this. A new patient often wondered whether the doctor had found out his aliment in the given time. But he would soon discover that he was getting the right treatment. Dr. Riaz Ahmad used to say that a patient’s face tells him everything.