Rawalpindi - Three patients died on Monday from coronavirus in hospitals in different parts of the district, according to details.
The death toll from COVID-19 rose to four in Rawalpindi district in last one week. A UK-returned lady of Sohawa had died of COVID-19 in a military hospital last week.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Capt (R) AnwaarUlHaq confirmed two deaths of patients in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and Taxila owing to COVID-19.
According to details, a patient namely Abdul Aziz, 63, passed away in a ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) due to coronavirus. The patient was brought to BBH from Jhelum and the doctors had tested him positive for COVID-19 some seven days ago.The patient had been put on ventilator.
A team of Rescue 1122 wearing fully protected gear shifted the dead body of Abdul Aziz from BBH to Jhelum, where he was buried in a graveyard after offering funeral prayer by a small number of people.
Police, following orders of district government, placed high-level security measures in the area to keep people inside their homes.
An 87-year-old patient namely Karam Dad also died of coronavirus in BBH, according to details. They said the old aged man, who belonged to DhokePeryan of Union Council Thathi of Gujar Khan, had recently returned to Pakistan from the UK. AC Gujar Khan had alerted all the departments including Rescue 1122 and police for burial of the deceased in his native town as per SOP of government.
Similarly, a 50-year-old lady namely KausarPerveendied in an intensive care unit of POF Hospital, WahCantt where she was on a ventilator suffering with COVID-19. Authorities of POF and some district government high-ups confirmed the lady had died of coronavirus.
They said the woman was brought to the hospital by her family four days ago with complaints of dry cough, shortness of breath and fever in Wah General Hospital. Later, doctors referred her to POF Hospital because of her critical condition.
She had returned from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) after performing Umrah. The dead body of the lady has been buried in a graveyard in Taxila.
Talking to media men, DC Capt (R) Muhammad AnwaarUlHaq said Abdul Aziz, resident of Jhelum, and Kausar of Taxila died because of Coronvirus.
He said 87-year-old man was brought to BBH from Hearts International Hospital where he died. “He was not infected withcoronvirus while his samples have been dispatched for examination in laboratory. Reports will be issued after two days,” he said.
He said so far 33 patients have been tested positive for coronavirus in the district out of them two had died.
He said patients aging from three years to 70 years are under treatment after being infected with COVID-19. “Majority of the patients are young which negate the fact that COVID-19 attacks only old aged people,” he said. DC advised people to respect lockdown by staying at home.
On the other hand, many suspected coronavirus patients have been detected in different parts of city. Upon receiving information, the district health authorities along with police, reached the places and shifted the suspected patients to hospitals for medical tests. According to sources, a 37-year-old man namely Zamil Khan was tested coronavirus positive in Mohala Akal Ghar after he was shifted to Corona Management Centre at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology. The authorities have also quarantined 10 family members of the man in the house and deployed heavy contingent of police to restrict public movement.
Similarly, district health department officials visited SabriMohala, RattaAmral and Lane Number 3 of Quaid e Azam Colony where two suspected patients of coronavirus namely Raja Saqib and Zohaib were quarantined in their houses. Suspected patients were moved to hospitals for medical treatment and coronavirus tests.
According to details, health authorities along with police also shifted two coronavirus suspected patients from DhokeBareenMorgah and Banni area to hospitals.
In ChakDaulat of Gujar Khan, two Afghan nationals having travel history of Karachi and Afghanistan arrived in a house of a citizen Habib Khan and later on disappeared. Health department officials and police reached at the spot and quarantined the family members.According to details, the law enforcement agencies have also launched investigation into the matter as to where the two suspects vanished.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Muhammad Mehmood paid a visit to DhokeParacha and Raja Bazaar and monitored the health facilities being provided to the patients quarantined at houses.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Rawal Division RaiMazhar briefed the commissioner about the situation arising in the area after outbreak of Coronavirus. Commissioner directed the health department officials to provide adequate health facilities to the patients quarantined in their houses.
The health department officials have also quarantined some 21 family members in their house after a 60-year-old man namely Sami Ullah tested positive for coronavirus at Zakriya Mosque in Westridge and was moved to RIU for treatment. The patient was on a preaching mission in the mosque.