A graduate of Dacca Medical College, Bangladesh he worked in his home country for three years before coming to the UK as a State Scholar, gaining experience, particularly in Geriatric Medicine in London and Edinburgh, before sitting and passing his MRCP Glasgow in 1970.
From the earliest days of his career he enjoyed research, looking at such topics as hookworm infestation, carcinoid syndrome, deep vein thrombosis in the elderly, presentations of cirrhosis, gastro-intestinal motility (collaborating with Mr Dennis Burkitt) and the possible role of viral infections in the development of senile dementia.
His first consultantship, as a locum, was in Geriatric Medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London before taking up a senior post in Bassetlaw Health District with the Trent Regional Health Authority. He relished this work, especially the challenge of teaching and guiding his junior staff and establishing a Day Unit. It is perhaps not well known that when he started there it was a fairly newly established post with a clinical and administrative workload that had proved too much for his predecessor who left to work in Canada. Dr Hussain brought not only his enthusiasm but also boundless vision and drive, making him a welcome colleague and popular tutor and role model.