RAWALPINDI: Three more Covid-19 patients from Rawalpindi city died on Wednesday, taking the toll to 12 in the district.

In addition, 37 more people tested positive and were shifted to the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU).

A 55-year-old man from Dhoke Ratta was brought to the hospital on April 8 and tested positive of April 10. He died at the RIU Corona Management Centre on Wednesday. Another patient, 49, also from Dhoke Ratta, was brought to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) with visible symptoms of Covid-19. He was later shifted to RIU after his test came back positive.

A resident of Millat Colony was brought to RIU on April 21 with Covid-19 symptoms. The 60-year-old man was put on the ventilator after his condition deteriorated but could not survive.

The bodies were shifted to graveyards by Rescue 1122 where a selected number of people offered their funeral prayers. They were buried as per the government’s standard operating procedure (SOP).

37 admitted to RIU after testing positive for disease

Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq confirmed that three people had died of Covid-19 and their bodies were handed over to their families to bury as per government directions.

He said the district administration and health authorities have conducted tests of people who were in contact with them.

Meanwhile, a total of 37 patients tested positive for Covid-19 in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and the administration and police sealed seven sites and houses. As many as 72 people were quarantined.

According to the data, 350 patients are still admitted to hospitals in the four districts. The breakdown is 231 in Rawalpindi, 24 in Attock, 90 in Jhelum and five in Chakwal.

A total of 236 suspected patients are still waiting their test reports in the four districts. The National Institute of Health (NIH) will send their reports in a day or two.

There are 2,054 people in quarantine, including 1,824 quarantined at home, 145 in quarantine facilities and 85 in hospitals.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that the number of patients in Rawalpindi has increased, but of the patients brought to RIU 17 are from Rawalpindi and 20 are from outside the district.

He said the district administration is working to implement all the SOPs issued by the Punjab government, but it is the duty of the people to adopt safety measures.

Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Secretary retired Capt Mohammad Usman and Specialised Health and Medical Education Secretary Munib Ahmed Awan visited the RIU Corona Management Centre on Wednesday. They received an extensive briefing from Mr Haq, Rawalpindi Medical University Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Umer and other officials on facilities available for Covid-19 patients in the district.

Mr Usman paid tribute to doctors, nurses and paramedics working at Covid-19 centres. He said sanitation workers and security personnel working at treatment and quarantine centres are also playing the role of frontline soldiers in a time of difficulty.

He said the safety of medical professionals working on the frontlines of the coronaviruspandemicis a priority because they are national heroes and the government is not oblivious to their healthcare responsibilities.

He said a comprehensive policy was being adopted to meet the coronavirus challenge. The testing capacity to diagnose Covid-19 patients in Punjab has been enhanced and the number of isolation wards and quarantine centres is also being increased.

Mr Haq said 231 Covid-19 patients are currently receiving treatment in Rawalpindi district while 63 people have been discharged following their recovery.

There have been eight deaths from the disease, he said, and the deceased have been buried according to all the relevant SOPs.

Mr Haq said Rawalpindi will soon have the capacity to handle 550 Covid-19 patients.

Mr Usman and Mr Awan later visited the field hospital at the Sports Complex, as well as Holy Family Hospital, Red Crescent Hospital and the coronavirus testing lab at BBH.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2020