[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4102-4103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MUNIR H. ABBASY, M.D.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 12, 2003

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter into 
the Record today these remarks to honor the accomplishments and life of 
Munir H. Abbasy, M.D., who died in a single engine airplane crash that 
he was piloting on July 29, 2001.
  Dr. Abbasy graduated from Liaquat Medical College in Pakistan in 
1969, and completed his internship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. 
Abbasy followed his internship with a position as a general surgeon at 
Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago, and a neurosurgical 
residency at the University of Pittsburgh. After moving to 
Massachusetts in 1976, Dr. Abbasy joined the Neurosurgical and 
Neurological Group Inc. in Springfield. Additionally, he was on the 
medical staff of the area hospitals, including Baystate Medical Center, 
Mercy Medical Center, and Holyoke Hospital. Abbasy served as the Chief 
of Neurosurgery at Mercy Medical Center from 1988-1993, and extended 
his services to Baystate Medical Center from 1993-2001. Also, Dr. 
Abbasy was the assistant clinical professor in the neurosurgery 
department at Tufts University.
  Dr. Abbasy was an established neurosurgeon who was commended on his 
extreme precision during surgery. Accordingly, Abbasy was the first 
neurosurgeon in Western Massachusetts to perform a ``Jannetta 
Procedure,'' which is a microvascular decompression of a cranial nerve 
for those who suffer from a tic douloureux and hemifacial spasm. Dr. 
Abbasy pioneered the practice of lumbar microdissectomies as an 
outpatient service at Baystate Medical Center in 1996, which reduced 
recovery time and created savings for the hospital.
  As a resident of Longmeadow, MA, Dr. Abbasy was extremely involved in 
his community. He was a member of the Hampden District Medical Society, 
the American Medical

[[Page 4103]]

Association, the New England Neurological Society, the Pediatric 
Section of AANS/CNS, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. 
Furthermore, he was a director of the Longmeadow Montessori School.
  According to his colleagues, friends, and family, Dr. Abbasy was a 
remarkable, bright, and extremely dedicated surgeon. He brought passion 
to his practice and always wanted to better the institutions and 
process of healthcare. He is survived by his wife, the former Ann 
O'Connor, a son, Jamil, and a daughter, Shareen Abbasy.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Abbasy was a valued member of the community and an 
amazing individual. He served the medical community for 25 years and 
his work will be remembered and appreciated. He will be missed by all 
who had the opportunity to know him.

                          ____________________