Another lawmaker dies, actresses, 91 hospital staff infected
TWO ACTRESSES ALSO TEST POSITIVE WHILE 91 STAFF IN ISLAMABAD’S MAIN HOSPITAL GET INFECTED
Health officials say one more Pakistani lawmaker has died at a hospital in Islamabad after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Mian Jamshed Kakakhel, who was a member of a provincial assembly in the northwest, died on Wednesday. His death comes a day after two lawmakers died at different hospitals after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, famous Pakistani actresses Rubina Ashraf and Sakina Samo have also tested positive for Covid-19.
The veteran television stars have gone into self-quarantine while their family members are being tested for coronavirus, according to Pakistani media.
Early this week, famous Pakistani singer, politician and social worker Abrarul Haq also tested positive. Haq announced on twitter that he was going into self-quarantine. Haq is a friend of Prime Minister Imran Khan and had also contested last general elections on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket.
Earlier, some other famous television stars, including Nida Yasir, Yasir Nawaz, Alizah Shah, Salman Ahmad and Naveed Raza have also tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the federal capital’s main hospital treating coronavirus patients, is itself in a crisis as 91 members of the hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and general workers, have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in recent days creating an alarming situation.
Majority of those who have tested positive were not in direct contact with patients suffering from coronavirus.
While speaking to Gulf News on Tuesday, joint executive director at PIMS, Dr Minhajus Siraj, admitted that PIMS employees were being increasingly diagnosed with the virus and the situation was quite worrisome. The prime minister’s Special Assistant on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza, has already ordered an inquiry to fix the loopholes.
So far, four Pakistani lawmakers have died because of the coronavirus in the country, which recorded its highest single-day increase in infections with 4,131 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. Pakistan yesterday reported 67 deaths in the past 24 hours from the outbreak.
Critics blame Prime Minister Imran Khan for an increase in deaths and infections. They accuse him of easing restrictions last month at a time when there was a need to enforce a stricter lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.