Waheed Arian

Arian’s story has been widely covered in the media, including a 30-minute BBC World documentary by John Simpson, called Waheed’s Wars: Saving Lives Across the World, first broadcast in August 2017. This was followed by a 30 minute radio documentary for the BBC World Service called Afghanistan Calling. The documentaries also covered Arian performing world’s first augmented reality international telemedicine consultation using Microsoft Hololens.

Arian has been interviewed by BBC Breakfast, ITN and Channel 5 news, and is a regular interviewee on BBC World and BBC Pashtu, Dari and Farsi. UK national newspapers including The Times and the Daily Mail have featured his story, and there has been significant coverage by regional media in North West England. International media coverage includes Voice of America, HuffPost and The Times of India. Specialist coverage of Arian’s achievements includes the British Medical Journal and the Royal College of Radiologists Newsletter.

The number of volunteer doctors with Arian Teleheal grew to 100, and the trust was registered as a charity in England and Wales in 2018. The service began supporting the Independent Doctors’ Association in Syria, supporting 1.3 million people, both locals and the internally displaced Syrian refugees.

Arian was appointed as a NHS England Clinical Entrepreneur in 2017 and subsequently given the mentor and lecturer role on the National Programme in 2018. He was among staff chosen to attend the Prime Minister’s reception to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS in 2018

During his postgraduate medical training, Arian has led and contributed to numerous projects in clinical audit and research, which he has presented in medical conferences and published in scientific journals) Arian is a keen educator giving lectures nationally and internationally. He acquired a teaching qualification, Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS), from City and Guilds in 2014.

Working as a NHS doctor in London and then Liverpool, Arian was determined to establish a system by which UK-based medics could help doctors in Afghanistan. He made frequent humanitarian visits to Kabul, Afghanistan, from 2010. In 2014, Arian focused on trying to create safe centres for volunteer medics to stay at in Afghanistan. However, while many were keen to help, they were unwilling to risk travelling to the country.

Following his graduation as a medical doctor in 2010, Arian completed Foundation Training from 2010 to 2012 and then Core Surgery Training (Trust Grade) from 2012 to 2014. He did clinical radiology registrar training from 2014 to 2019 while also working as a senior emergency medicine doctor. Arian continues to work as an emergency medicine doctor in the NHS

He graduated from Cambridge in 2006 with a science degree, and went on to finish his clinical studies at Imperial College London, then winning a scholarship to take an elective in surgery at Harvard Medical School, USA, in 2008. Arian has subsequently supported work by Cambridge University to encourage greater diversity in student applications.

Waheed Arian (born 5 August 1983) is a British doctor and radiologist, born in Afghanistan, who founded a telemedicine charity called Arian Teleheal. The charity enables doctors in conflict zones and low resource countries to use their smartphones to receive advice from volunteer specialists in the UK, Canada, the US and other countries. Arian has won several international awards for his achievements, and regularly speaks as an expert in innovation, technology and global health.

Arian was born on 5 August 1983 in Kabul, Afghanistan. His early childhood was spent during the Soviet-Afghan conflict, his family frequently moving home because of the fighting. His schooling was significantly disrupted as schools were often closed. As the fighting intensified, Arian’s parents made the decision to seek safety in Pakistan. His family made a hazardous seven-day mountain crossing, travelling at night to try to avoid Soviet military aircraft. Arian and his father narrowly avoiding being killed during a rocket attack during the crossing. Arian’s family eventually reached safety at a Peshawar refugee camp, but conditions were poor and the family of 10 were living in a single room with no running water or electricity. Arian contracted tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, and suffered from malnutrition. Arian was treated by a volunteer doctor at the camp, who was pivotal in inspiring him to study medicine. Arian’s family returned to Kabul following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. However, the civil war ensued soon after and when it began to heighten in 1999, with Arian aged 15, his parents sent him to safety in the UK, to stay with a distant family friend.