13,053 health workers tested positive so far: Pakistan loses 113 medical professionals since Covid-19 outbreak

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has lost 113 medical professionals since the outbreak of the Covid-19, while 13,053 health workers including doctors, supporting staff and nurses have tested positive for the coronavirus.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), since start of the pandemic in February 2020, a total 13,053 healthcare workers have been infected with the coronavirus of which 113 have been died.

The NCOC data issued showed that up until January 11, 2021, at least 13,053 medics have contracted the deadly virus, 60 percent of them medical doctors, 26 percent paramedics/supporting staff, and 14 percent nurses. Even as infections continue to climb among healthcare professionals, the numbers only account for three percent of the total caseload of cases in Pakistan, which on Saturday crossed half a million.

Sindh has the highest number of frontline medics testing positive for the Covid-19 with 4,631 infections, followed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 3,101, and Punjab at 2,896. Out of 113 healthcare workers who have died till now, 35 are in Sindh, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 31 health professionals dead.

Daily coronavirus updates released by the NCOC here on Tuesday said that Pakistan has reported 41 deaths in the last 24 hours due to the coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 506,701. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 10,717 on Tuesday.

The NCOC said that 2,408 persons tested positive for the Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic in terms of cases followed by Punjab, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad.

Till now 227,885 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 146,016 in Punjab 61,648 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 39,340 in Islamabad, 18,429 in Balochistan, 8,501 in Azad Kashmir, and 4,882 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Furthermore, 4,299 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab, 3,708 in Sindh, 1,743 in KP, 443 in Islamabad, 235 in Azad Kashmir, 188 in Balochistan, and 101 in G-B. Pakistan has so far conducted 7,162,626 coronavirus tests and 40,088 in the last 24 hours. At least 461,977 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country, whereas 2,340 patients are in critical condition.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021