Coronavirus claims lives of 65 healthcare workers across Pakistan

Lahore, June 22

As many as 65 medics, most of them doctors, in Pakistan have died of coronavirus and around 5,000 infected so far while battling on the frontline against the deadly disease, a government report said on Monday.

The report prepared by the National Institute of Health said, “Some 65 health professionals, including 42 doctors, have lost their lives to the coronavirus. Of them, 30 doctors belong to Punjab province.”

According to figures, 11 doctors and one nurse have lost their lives to COVID-19 in Sindh; four doctors and three paramedics in Balochistan and one doctor in Gilgit-Baltistan.

A Sikh doctor, Dr Phag Chand Singh, was among the casualties in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The report said that about 5,000 health professionals, including 3,000 doctors and 600 nurses, have been infected by the deadly virus so far in the country.

Meanwhile, the number of new reported coronavirus cases and related deaths started dropping in Punjab following smart lockdown in various cities of the province last week.

The official data of past 10 days shows that the total number of COVID-19 patients in the government and private hospitals was recorded at 1,031 on June 11 and by June 20, the number dropped to 861.

According to the Punjab health department, the number of COVID-19 positive cases may further drop in the province in days to come following the smart lockdown imposed in different cities on June 16 midnight.

Pakistan’s coronavirus cases jumped to 181,088 on Monday after 4,471 new cases were reported during the last 24 hours, while 89 people died of the disease, taking the number of fatalities in the country to 3,590. PTI