Another seven people die of pandemic

Pindi population ignoring SOPs at large

RAWALPINDI:

Another seven people lost their lives to the novel coronavirus pandemic in Rawalpindi during the past 24 hours, District Health Office report said on Saturday.

The fatalities reported from Holy Family Hospital (HFH) include Azra, Arfa, Obaid Munir, and Syed Muhammad. Muhammad Yaseen and Shaukat Ali succumbed to the contagion in the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT).

According to daily report of the DHO, 144 patients are receiving treatment in RIUKT, the dedicated hospital for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Among them, some 99 are on oxygen, while 13 patients are on ventilators.

The paucity of medical workers in public hospitals thus remains a problem and encumbering the provision of services.

Health experts said that more patients have to be shifted on oxygen therapy during the second wave of the pathogen in the country. Similarly, the recovery rate is also slow compared to the previous wave.

However, the people are on a binge on violation of precautionary guidelines.

The use of facemasks in public places has become rare let alone maintenance of social distance. The markets remain occupied with customers standing close to each other.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2020.