Coronavirus claims life of ninth cop

The number of Sindh police officials who have lost their lives to the novel coronavirus infection increased to nine on Saturday after another policeman succumbed to the deadly COVID-19.

Apart from those who have lost their lives to the virus, 449 police officials have been diagnosed with the viral disease across the province, of whom 112 have recovered while 309 others remained admitted at various hospitals and isolation centres or are observing in self-isolation at home.

According to details, 54-year-old Shakeel Ahmed was the ninth policeman who lost his life on Saturday. He had been posted at the Soldier Bazaar police station. He had been at the Lyari General Hospital since June 4 but could not survive.

According to the authorities, of the nine police officials who have lost their lives to COVID-19, six belonged to the Karachi Range alone. Ahmed was the second policeman from the Karachi Range to succumb to the virus in less than a week.

Earlier this month, 53-year-old wireless operator Hasan Raza, a resident of Buffer Zone, had breathed his last during treatment at the Ziauddin Hospital in the city.

Among other police officials who have lost their lives is also a sub-inspector who had been deployed at an Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme collection centre in the city’s Razzaqabad neighbourhood, where he dealt with hundreds of people queueing up to receive Rs12,000 under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s relief package.

On Friday, city police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon visited the Special Security Unit (SSU) headquarters and presided over a meeting regarding the welfare of corona-infected police officials and plasma donation by recovered officials for under-treatment patients to save their lives.

On the occasion, Security & Emergency Services Division DIG Maqsood Memon welcomed him and briefed him about the steps taken for the prevention of the coronavirus infection and the welfare of police officials.

Expressing satisfaction, police chief Memon said that whenever the country faces a difficult time, the police force serves their motherland without caring for their lives, and now they are fighting on the front line against the pandemic and sacrificing their lives.

Therefore, he ordered, the police department needs to work for the welfare of the officials on a priority basis. He also directed to set up a welfare unit at the SSU headquarters to take care of the police officials afflicted with COVID-19.

The police chief appreciated the police officials who donated plasma. He also distributed cash prizes and certificates of appreciation among them. Later, he and DIG Memon visited the National Institute of Blood Diseases and the isolation centre set up at the Expo Centre to review the arrangements made there.