KARACHI: Dozens of people on Tuesday protested outside the Covid-19 isolation ward of the Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) against the hospital management for keeping a coronavirus patient in the ward and not releasing his wife’s body.

Maqbool Kakar, a local leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), and his wife were shifted to the hospital after being involved in an accident while travelling from Quetta. Their son died in the accident.

An LNH spokesperson said Mr Kakar and his wife were shifted to the hospital’s isolation ward after both of them tested positive for the coronavirus. The wife underwent surgery but passed away on Monday in the isolation ward.

On Tuesday evening, around 50-60 protesters gathered at the hospital, demanding Mr Kakar’s release from the isolation ward and handing over his wife’s body.

ANP leader Sher Mohammad Afridi, who was at the protest, claimed that the hospital had declared Kakar’s wife a coronavirus patient after she died following a back surgery three days after the accident.

The protesters dispersed after two hours.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2020