LAHORE                   -                A senior cardiac surgeon at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) on Monday.

He was placed into quarantine at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) after his test turned out to be positive.

A team of the health department reached the PIC and started screening the staff working in the institute’s intensive care unit (ICU). The staffers who were in touch with the affected surgeon will take a Covid-19 test. Besides, the doctor has been stopped from performing surgeries until his recovery from the infection.

Meanwhile, four more doctors working in Nishtar Hospital tested positive for the deadly coronavirus raising the affected medics tally to 17.

According to the details, on April 12, some 13 doctors contracted coronavirus in Nishtar Hospital Multan. Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and sought inquiry report from the health secretary. Another four doctors were tested positive for the virus on April 13 taking the total number of infected doctors to 17.

Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that infected doctors were not treating coronavirus patients as there was no coronavirus ward in the hospital and one of the doctors, who contracted the virus from his father, infected other doctors on the duty.

Earlier today, Director Public Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Ikramullah was also tested positive for the coronavirus, Health Minister Taimur Jhagra said.

Taimur Jhagra in his tweet said, Dr Ikramullah, who was a member of COVID19 response team had tested positive for the virus. “He is in high spirits, feeling good, and is isolated at his home,” the minister informed