36 including doctor die of Covid-19 in KP

PESHAWAR: Another doctor died of coronavirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, raising the toll of doctors from the viral infection to 58 in the province.

Dr Mohammad Iqbal became the latest victim of the fast-spreading virus. He was in-charge of Type D Hospital in Lundkhawar of Takht Bhai subdivision in rural Mardan, where he believed to have contracted the virus.

After tested positive for the viral infection, he developed some complications and was taken to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC). He was then shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was put on a ventilator but could not survive.

According to the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA), a major association of doctors serving in the public sector hospitals, which keeps a record of the doctors and other healthcare providers died of coronavirus, 58 doctors had so far died of coronavirus in KP.

Meanwhile, 35 more people died of coronavirus in KP on Thursday, bringing the toll from the infectious disease to 2796.

Of them, 16 died in Peshawar alone. In Peshawar, the viral infection has claimed 1465 lives, which is the highest death toll than all other places of the province.

The government had declared the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) as a dedicated hospital for corona patients, where patients from all parts of the province are sent there.

According to the doctors in LRH, patients admitted to other hospitals including the tertiary care hospitals such as the Mardan Medical Complex (MMC), Qazi Hussain Medical Complex Nowshera, Bacha Khan Medical Complex in Swabi are sent to them.

“I don’t understand why the patients are sent to us from the tertiary care hospitals. The government must take its notice and ensure the quality of services to the patients in those hospitals,” a senior physician in LRH told The News on condition of anonymity.

He said most of the patients coming from the tertiary care hospitals in other districts complained of insufficient services.

Meanwhile, six patients died in Swat, five in Mardan, two each in Bajaur, Haripur and Abbottabad.

Also, 1129 more people were tested positive for coronavirus in KP, which brought the total number of positive cases to 103419.