Covid-19 infects 10,000 health staff

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:

Over 9,000 health workers have so far contracted the novel coronavirus across the country while some 97 have died of it.

Health officials have called on the government to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of frontline workers who are playing a crucial role in fighting the pandemic.

Data released by the National Emergency Operations Centre on Saturday showed that the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has so far infected 9,960 health workers across the country, including 6,230 doctors, 1,177 nurses and 2,553 other health staff.

It said that as many of the 495 of the health workers affected by Covid-19 are currently isolating at homes or in quarantine centres while 57 health workers are receiving treatment in hospitals.

The report pointed out that some 9,311 healthcare workers have recovered from the virus. Simultaneously, however, 97 health workers have also lost their lives due to contagion.

A breakup of the report showed that some 442 health workers were infected by Covid-19 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, of which 368 have recovered and six died.

In Balochistan, 601 were affected of which 568 have recovered while eight lost their lives. In Gilgit-Baltistan, 209 health workers were affected of which 186 recovered while three died. In the federal capital, as many as 846 health workers were affected, out of which 698 have recovered and eight have died.

It further stated that 2,686 health workers have so far been affected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, out of which 2,573 have recovered while 24 have died.

Similarly in Punjab, 2,638 health workers were affected of which 2,534 have recovered while 14 died.

In Sindh, 2,538 health workers contracted the virus of which 2,384 recovered while 34 health workers died - the highest casualty figure for health workers in any single province.

Islamabad District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia said that victory against Covid-19 can only be achieved by saving the frontline healthcare workers.

The government has made all possible arrangements to ensure the safety of health workers, he said, adding that it is important to protect healthcare workers.

Health expert Dr Amna at the Polyclinic Hospital said that concrete steps need to be taken to ensure the safety of healthcare workers. Although the general population remains at risk to contract the virus, people providing medical care to patients infected with the virus are more vulnerable to the disease.

Seven die

Meanwhile, at least seven Covid-19 associated deaths were confirmed in Rawalpindi over the past 24 hours.

The fatalities recorded at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) included Shahbaz, Mirza Nadim, Omar, Shahzada, Tahir, Saif Mahmood and Suraya.

Sources said eight patients at HFH and 29 at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology will get oxygen per their situation .

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2020.