Obituary: Simrit Kaur Sandhu

It is with sadness that OT reports the death of young optometrist Simrit Kaur Sandhu following a short battle with cancer. 

Since qualifying as an optometrist in 2010, Ms Sandhu constantly strove to develop herself within the profession and looked for any opportunity to further her knowledge. 

Her passion for teaching encouraged her to become a supervisor in the contact lens clinics at City University of London, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Working at the university provided Ms Sandhu with the platform to embrace various teaching opportunities, including facilitating various workshops at national conferences, as well as writing articles in the Optician on soft and rigid contact lens fitting. 

To progress herself further, Ms Sandhu joined Moorfields Eye Hospital’s contact lens and keratoconus monitoring clinics, a job where her passion for knowledge could truly flourish.

Adding to her achievements, Ms Sandhu completed her independent prescribing qualification at Glasgow Caledonian University.  

Close friend, Hussian Khambati, shared: “Simrit would constantly be honing her abilities as an optometrist and developing new skills, which she would then cascade onto those around her. Her enthusiasm for learning was infectious, as was her laugh and her humour.”

Ms Sandhu regularly took part in Cancer Research’s Race for life, and was the treasurer and senior member of the British Sikh Doctors Organisation (BSDO), a group dedicated to providing healthcare screening to the vulnerable and elderly. 

Remembering Ms Sandhu, fellow BSDO member and close friend, Sandeep Singh Dhillon, shared: “She would pick me up after a long day of work and still have the energy to screen 200 patients and explain common eye conditions and the need for regular eye tests. She was loved within this community, both by her peers and her patients. I will always cherish the time we spent together.”

Not only a figure in optics to aspire to, but a dedicated daughter who, from a young age, following the tragic loss of her mother, took a pivotal role in caring for her father with great love and affection.

Close friend Luke Man said: “It’s a tragic loss to us all. Simrit was a selfless person and constantly put others before herself. This shone through with her commitment to charity work. She was an exceptional optometrist and an amazing friend and she has left behind a legacy which will be continued in her memory.”