Another doctor dies of Covid as toll reaches 30

Another doctor from Abbottabad succumbed to the coronavirus on Sunday, raising the death toll of doctors in the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to 30.

Professor Dr Hassan Shahzad died while he was under treatment at an intensive care unit of Ayub Teaching Hospital in Abbottabad. Shahzad was there for the past one week. He was also the former medicine department head of the Ayub Medical College.

Approximately, 47 health workers have lost their lives in the province. Thirty of them were doctors, seven paramedics, four nurses and six administration employees.

The Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) has once again demanded of the government to pay risk allowance to medical professionals battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

They also urged the health ministry to implement the Shaheed Package approved by the provincial cabinet earlier.

Talking to The Express Tribune, PDA Information Secretary Dr Saleem claimed that the Shaheed Package, which included a compensation of Rs7 million, was not provided to any doctor’s family yet.

“It is unfortunate that the compensation package is not being implemented,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2020.