Mr Shah was one of four surgeons to receive the Christchurch Medal at the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand’s annual dinner in Darwin, Australia.

Mr Shah was a guest speaker at the society’s meeting in Christchurch last year when the 6.3 Richter scale earthquake hit, claiming 185 lives and injuring many.

Risking his own life, Mr Shah assisted in the rescue of a woman trapped on the top floor of the severely damaged Christchurch Press Building. After negotiating the last two flights of stairs, which had been reduced to rubble, on his hands and knees, Mr Shah assisted the trapped and severely injured victim until she was freed from under a beam and transferred to a crane rescue bucket. At that moment a severe aftershock further damaged the stairs and upper floors, leaving Mr Shah and his fellow rescuers no choice but to jump across a 1.5 metre chasm four storeys deep onto the roof of an adjoining building.

“The whole world saw the devastation caused by the Christchurch Earthquake. It was a terrifying experience for many people, and one that will live on in my memory. Christchurch is a beautiful city, home to some of the friendliest people in the world. I am confident in its recovery and I look forward to returning and seeing my friends in the future,” says Mr Shah.

John Lofthouse, Chief Executive at King Edward VII’s Hospital, says “Mr Shah’s award is a testament to his resourcefulness, bravery and quick thinking. All Hospital staff and Consultants are tremendously proud of him.”

Mr Shah is the only person from the UK to receive an award. The other medal recipients are Lydia Johns Putra and Stuart Phillip from Australia and Stephen Mark from New Zealand.

The medals awarded to these four surgeons were cast from metal recovered from the Crown Plaza Hotel, which was the meeting's official hotel and has since been destroyed as a consequence of the earthquake.