‘Pakistan has lost 85 healthcare workers, including 60 doctors, in fight against corona’

Pakistan has lost 85 healthcare workers, including 60 doctors, in the fight against the novel coronavirus since February 26 when the first case of the viral disease was reported in the country, according to federal health authorities.

They said around 131 healthcare workers who had contracted the virus were under treatment at hospitals in the country and two of them were on life support in Punjab. “Out of the 85 fallen healthcare workers, 60 are doctors, 22 are paramedical staff, two are nurses and one is a medical student”, told an official of the National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSR&C) to The News on Saturday.

“Sindh has lost the highest number of healthcare workers which is 34. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has lost 20 healthcare workers, Punjab 12, Balochistan eight, Islamabad five, while Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir three each.”

The official said that so far 7,245 healthcare workers had contracted the coronavirus: 4,393 doctors, 824 nurses and 2,028 paramedical staff. “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the highest number of infected healthcare workers which is 2,444. Among them are 1,046 doctors, 368 nurses and 1,030 paramedics.”

Sindh has the second-highest number of infected healthcare workers which is 2,169, according to the official. “Among them are 1686 doctors, 180 nurses and 303 paramedical staff.” In Punjab, 1102 healthcare workers were infected with the infectious disease, the official said, adding that 627 of them were doctors, 168 nurses and 307 paramedics.

“Islamabad has 575 infected healthcare providers. Among them are 405 doctors, 66 nurses and 104 paramedics. Balochistan has 514 healthcare workers infected with coronavirus: 405 are doctors, 25 nurses and 84 paramedics.” The official said Azad Jammu Kashmir had 248 healthcare workers who had contracted the coronavirus. “Among them are 119 doctors, 14 nurses and 115 paramedical staff.”

According to the official, Gilgit-Baltistan has the lowest number of infected healthcare providers which is 193. “Among them are 105 doctors, two nurses and 86 paramedical staff.” According to the official, altogether 6,451 has died from COVID-19: 2,481 in Sindh, 2,229 in Punjab, 1,259 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 181 in Islamabad, 145 in Balochistan, 85 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 71 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.