Declaring patient as Covid-19 suspect without test

TAKHTBHAI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amn Jirga chairman Syed Kamal Shah on Tuesday asked the provincial government to take action against the officials responsible for declaring a tuberculosis (TB) patient as a suspected case of coronavirus.

Speaking at the residence of late Inayatullah Gul in Dhako Baba village in Takhtbhai tehsil, he said that they along with the relatives of the deceased would hold a press conference tomorrow and also move Peshawar High Court against the officials responsible for putting the family in quarantine even before getting the result of coronavirus test of the deceased.Syed Kamal Bacha criticized the local lawmakers of the national and provincial assemblies for not visiting the home of the deceased and extending help to the affected family.He appealed to provincial government to provide financial assistance to the family of late Inayatullah Gul, as he was a poor labourer. Amn Jirga Mardan chapter President Syed Rahim Bacha, Jehangir Khan and others were also present on the occasion.

It may be mentioned that Inayatullah Gul had died a few days ago due to TB and other health complications at the Mardan Medical Complex before the result for his coronavirus test could be declared. Earlier, the patient was taken to the Civil Hospital Takhtbhai from where he was referred to the Mardan Medical Complex due to his precarious condition. The doctors at the MMC put the patient on ventilator as he was not able to breathe due to severe problem in breathing and chest pain. However, the patient expired. Takhtbhai Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Kachkol Khan said the deceased was a chronic patient of chest, tuberculosis and pneumonia but the doctors at the Takhtbhai hospital had taken his swabs for coronavirus test and the result was awaited. He said the result will clear the situation about the cause of his death. It was learnt that Inayatullah Gul was working at Kohat as a labourer and had come to his home in Takhtbhai a few days ago. When the news of his death spread, Takhtbhai AC Aneela Fahim along with a heavy contingent of police rushed to the Dhako Baba village and took precautionary steps to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the area.