ISLAMABAD              -              Another patient of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the second consecutive day expired at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) taking the death toll at hospital to five, said doctors on Tuesday.

PIMS officials said that though the patient died at federal capital hospital, he belonged to Rawalpindi district so the death will be counted in Punjab as per the protocols.

Earlier, three residents of the federal capital and one from Attock expired at PIMS.

Doctors informed The Nation that the expired male patient was 68-year-old and he was on ventilator since April 14. Doctors also said that the patient had the medical history of high blood pressure and was also chain smoker.

Doctors also said that it was also the local transmission case death in the hospital. PIMS media coordinator Dr.WaseemKhawja confirmed another death in the hospital and said that the patient also had renal infections and was on ventilator for last few days.

He also said that the daily number of cases being reported in the hospital is increasing which is alarming and needs to be reduced with taking preventive measures.

He stressed that suddenly cases started increasing which means preventive measures are being ignored.

According to the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) dashboard, the number of COVID-19 patients from March 25 till now has surged to 185. Four more patients were confirmed with the virus in previous 24 hours.

Apart from the three deaths of the residents of the city, 20 patients have been also recovered here, said that NCOC dashboard.

Earlier, the deceased 82-year-old person positive with COVID-19 was from the rural vicinity of Tarlai and was suffering from kidney problem as well.

In the last couple of days, 111 COVID-19 suspects were reported in PIMS, while so far 1,127 tests have been performed in the hospital. Officials also said that the patient who recently died at PIMS was also a local transmission case of the city. So, far one death reported at PIMS was of imported transmission while rest of all was locally transmitted cases.

Earlier, seven employees of FGS Polyclinic, the second largest hospital of the city were tested positive and quarantined.

The newly confirmed cases informed that all employees were from Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) of the facility.

The seven new positive employees include a lady doctor, two nurses, two security guards, a lab technician and sanitary worker.

Meanwhile, Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) inaugurated a situation room with the collaboration of World Health Organization (WHO).

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on NHS Dr.ZafarMirza inaugurated the situation room while the WHO representative Dr.PalithaMahipala was also present on the occasion.

Dr.Mirzasaid that the situation room has been equipped with modern technology and it will be helpful for correct and timely information sharing on COVID-19.

He also said that meeting will be called in the situation room through video links. SAPM on NHS said that grand reforms are being done in the health sector as reforming the health of the country is top priority of the Prime Minister.