Covid-19 claims Islamabad pathologist Dr Burki’s life; 154 docs die so far

ISLAMABAD: Another doctor on Sunday succumbed to deadly novel coronavirus in Islamabad after days of battling for his life on the ventilator, raising the death toll of doctors in the country due to Covid-19 to 154.
The deceased, Dr Umar Farooq, was the former head of the pathology department at the KRL Hospital in Islamabad. He had been undergoing treatment for the virus at a private hospital in Islamabad. He had tested positive for coronavirus on December 8, 2020.
According to the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), till now 154 doctors have lost their lives due to Covid-19 in Pakistan. During the second wave which started from November, 45 doctors have lost their lives (16 in Punjab, 14 in Sindh, 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Azad Jammu and Kashmir).
Earlier, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) warned of a more lethal second wave of the disease and appealed to the people to follow safety standard operating procedure (SOPs) against the coronavirus.
The PMA urged the government to take strict action against those not following the Covid-19 SOPs. The PMA also suggested the government to organise a mask distribution drive and ensure prices of masks and sanitisers are controlled. The PMA also sought personal protection equipment for doctors and paramedical staff from the government and demanded the release of funds promised under an already announced package.
Professor of Endocrinology Dr Rauf Niazi said that the Covid-19 is more lethal in the second wave compared to the first surge in Pakistan. Dr Niazi said that the patients received by Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in recent times appeared to be severely ill than before.