138 nurses test Covid-19 positive in KP

PESHAWAR: As many as 138 nurses working in different hospitals of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province tested positive for Covid-19 till Thursday.

The Health Department sources said the number was increasing rapidly with the increasing numbers of patients. Twenty nurses have recovered so far, and one senior member died in Kohat, added the sources.

KP Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jaghra told this scribe that the provincial government had already decided Shuhada package for those healthcare professionals who lost their lives while treating Covid-19 patients.

According to the data available with the correspondent, Peshawar is the most affected city, having 71 nurses tested positive for coronavirus. The Leady Reading Hospital (LRH) is on top with 28 nurses, affected by the virus. Fourteen nurses of Hayat Abad Medical Teaching Hospital and nine of Khyber Teaching Hospital are suffering from Covid-19.

Two staff nurses of Mental Hospital, three of Shaukat Khanum, one of police hospital and four nurses of Rehman Medical Institute Peshawar have also been affected by coronavirus. At least 10 nurses of other small hospitals are also facing Covid-19 at Peshawar.

Similarly eight nurses each from Abbottabad and Swat hospitals have tested positive and quarantined. Seven nurses from Swabi, four each from Temaragarha and Batkhela while two nurses of Shangla hospital are suffering from coronavirus.

In Mardanm, three nurses while in Charsadda and Nowshera, one each fell victim to the virus. Two nurses each in Nowshera, Bajaur and Upper Dir have tested positive while one each in Kohat and Takht Bhai are suffering from coronavirus.

Advisor on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir told this scribe that the nursing community is serving on the front-line and the provincial government would do every possible to help them. He said that KP had the highest recovery rate and 200 isolated wards of coronavirus were established in the province with a capacity of 5,598 beds besides 359 quarantine centres and over 550 ventilators reserved for the virus patients.

Ajmal Wazir requested citizens to follow the guidelines issued by the government to avoid burden on hospitals and medical professionals, working in different hospitals.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Nurses Association has urged the government to provide immediate assistance to the family of martyred nurse and give Shuhada package along with civil award. A spokesman demanded that all health workers including nursed should given a risk allowance equal to one basic salary.