ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday registered its deadliest day in terms of deaths from the coronavirus, with at least 29 people dying of the complications related to coronavirus, taking the country's toll to 328 deaths since the outbreak began in late February.
As many as 730 more cases were reported on Tuesday throughout the country. Most of casualties have occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where uptill now 114 people have perished while in Punjab the number is 100 and in Sindh 92. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 14,680 after new infections were confirmed.
The total confirmed cases rose to 14,680, with Sindh reporting 5,291 cases, Punjab 5,730, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2.160, Balochistan 853, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 261, Gilgit-Baltistan 320 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 65 at 10:44pm.
The death toll rose to 322, with 114 deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 92 in Sindh, 14 in Balochistan and three in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Sharing the global case update in his televised briefing here, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar said there were over 3 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide, with 214,111 deaths and 944,104 recoveries.
He said Pakistan had performed 157,000 tests so far, leading to confirmation of 14,680 cases with the addition of 751 new cases in the last 24 hours only.
Sindh has reported maximum cases (341) in a day while Punjab has reported 194, KP 120, Balochistan 72, Islamabad 16, AJK 6, and GB 2.
While over 3,000 patients in Pakistan have attained complete recovery, 20 have succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, which is the maximum number of deaths in a day.
Dr. Zafar argued that deaths should be seen in a broader perspective.
“In the last two weeks, we have been having 16 to 17 deaths per day; as such, the positive aspect is that there has been no major increase in average deaths over the period under review.
Mortality data is the most accurate tool for portrayal of the real picture of an outbreak in a country. It is on the basis of this data that other decisions are taken,” he added.
In conclusion, the SAPM urged the public to take all necessary precautions.
“It is in your hands to control this epidemic. Avoid crowded places, adhere to the SOPs, and avoid going to mosques,” he said.
Dr Zafar said the frontline healthcare workers who die in the line of duty will be entitled to all benefits and perks enshrined in the existing ‘Shuhada Package’ for government servants who embrace martyrdom while safeguarding the security of the homeland.
The package will come into effect in the federal capital, followed by Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
“The federal cabinet has decided to accord the status of martyr to every health professional who expires while trying to save the life of a patient afflicted with coronavirus,” he said.
He said the government was extremely concerned about the safety of healthcare professionals treating Covid-19 patients.
Sharing details of the cabinet-approved package, Dr. Zafar said there were two kinds of packages for the martyrs — one is for those civil and military professionals who die of medical conditions in ordinary circumstances, and the other is for those who die in security-related incidents such as terrorist attacks, etc.
The ambit of the latter category has been broadened to include health professionals who die while treating Covid-19 patients.
Dr. Zafar said the package had eight key features namely, monetary compensation ranging between 3-10 million — depending on the grade of the employee — coupled with 100 percent pension, retention of official accommodation, free education of all children, facilitation in allotment of a plot, guaranteed employment for eligible children, free healthcare for the entire family, and benevolent fund.
The package will initially be implemented in the federal capital and will subsequently be introduced in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
“We are holding consultations with the governments of AJK and GB in this regard,” he added.
The SAPM said, yesterday’s conference with the provincial health ministers was followed Tuesday with a meeting with the central leadership of the Pakistan Medical Association.
“The meeting focused on consolidation of national efforts for the safety and protection of healthcare workers,” he said, adding, “A national programme for safety of healthcare workers, which will build on existing interventions being made at the federal and provincial levels, is being devised and shall soon be unveiled.”
Additionally, the government has decided to develop National Guidelines on use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). While individual guidelines are already being practiced at the federal and provincial levels, these will now be consolidated into one single nationally agreed document for harmonization of efforts.
Dr. Zafar repeated that while availability of PPE was no more an issue, it was the use of equipment that needed to be streamlined, and for that, trainings will also be held soon.
APP adds: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Tuesday said for the first time his government had conducted over 4,112 tests adding that 335 new cases had emerged, while seven more patients had succumbed to the COVID-19.
He said this in his video message released by the Chief Minister House.
He said so far 48,061 tests had been conducted against which 5,291 cases were detected.
In this way the infection ratio has come down from 12 percent to 8.15 percent, he said, adding, “This is something encouraging but we have to take care of ourselves and of our families and other people.”
Shah said seven people had died on Tuesday, bringing the number of deaths to 92 constituting 1.73 percent of the total patients.
“Thirty-eight more patients have recovered and reunited with their families,” he said, adding that the number of patients who had recovered so far had reached 963.
The recovery rate has been recorded at 18.2 percent, he said.
Shah said 4,236 patients were under treatment, including 2,915 at home Isolation, 872 at the isolation centers and 449 at different hospitals, while 48 patients were in critical condition and 13 of them were on the ventilator.
Giving district-wise break-up of the patients, the chief minister said Karachi had 258 new cases.
“At present, out of 5,291 cases, 1,609 belong to Karachi, District South 1,037 with 89 new cases, East 821 cases including 53 new, Central 655 cases with 43 new, Malir 312 cases with 21 new, West 392 cases with 24 new and Korangi 392 cases with 28 new cases.
“This is not a good situation and every one of us will have to be careful,” he said.
Talking about other districts, the chief minister said 17 new cases had been diagnosed in Hyderabad, 10 in Jacobabad, seven in Sukkur, seven in Shikarpur, six in Shaheed Benazirabad, six in Tando Mohammad Khan and five in Larkana.
He said coronavirus had started spreading in rural areas.
“Despite our serious efforts, people do not adopt social distancing, as a result they are not only getting infected, but also infecting others,” he deplored.
Murad said he was developing additional isolation centers.
The capacity of Expo Center is being enhanced from 1,200 to 1,500-beds, PAF Museum SITE to 600 beds, Gadap City Hospital to 150 beds, Dumba Goth Hospital to 100 beds and field isolation centers to 100 beds.
Shah said with the increase of new patients, expansion of isolation centers was necessary so that patients from congested areas could be shifted there.
Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar Division — comprising Charsadda, Peshawar and Nowshera districts — is the most affected areas where 58 people have died so far due to the coronavirus.
Similarly, 18 deaths were reported from Malakand division comprising Shangla, Buner, Swat, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Chitral Lower, Chitral Upper and Malakand districts.
Health department officials said six patients had died in Hazara division, eight in Mardan division, five in Kohat division and one each in Bannu and DI Khan divisions.
Two persons died in Charsadda, three in Nowshera, one in Mohmand, six in Mardan, two in Swabi, 12 in Swat, one each in Buner and Shangla, two each in Lower Dir, Kurrum and Malakand, three each in Mansehra, Kohat and Abbottabad and one each in Bannu and DI Khan districts.
