KARACHI: Dr Iqbal Noori, senior physician associated with a private hospital, died of Covid-19 on Friday after remaining hospitalised for over a week.

A Dow Medical College graduate, Dr Noori was in his 60s.

According to the Pakistan Medical Association data, 238 doctors have so far died of coronavirus in the country — including 30 paramedics. Of them, 68 doctors were based in Sindh.

“It’s a sad day. We appeal to all healthcare providers to strictly follow all Covid-19 related standard operating procedures (SOPs) while examining their patients. Nobody should think that getting a vaccine jab minimises the need to follow SOPs,” said Dr Qaiser Sajjad of PMA.

Asked whether Dr Noori was vaccinated, Dr Sajjad said he didn’t have this information right now. “But, what I can say with authenticity is that we still have healthcare providers who haven’t opted for vaccination yet. I urge them to reject myths and misconceptions. All vaccines are safe and significantly reduce chances of infection.”

In this respect, he referred to the Sindh government data recently presented during the task force meeting which showed that 85 per cent of Covid-19 cases now comprised unvaccinated patients and 15pc vaccinated patients.

“This explains why it’s important to get vaccinated against the infection. With the lethal Indian variant fast spreading in the country particularly in Karachi, the need for vaccination is all the more important.”

Vaccinated individuals, he pointed out, might still get the infection but with less severe symptoms and greater chances of recovery. “The focus must be on increasing vaccination status and ensuring that people strictly follow SOPs,” he said.

Eight more patients died

As many as eight more patients of coronavirus died overnight and 919 new cases emerged when 10,032 tests were conducted.

This was stated by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued here on Friday.

He said that the death of eight more patients lifted the death toll in Sindh to 5,793 constituting 1.6pc death rate.

Mr Shah said that 10,032 samples were tested which detected 919 cases that constituted 9.2pc current detection rate, adding that so far 4,857,444 tests had been conducted against which 363,084 cases were diagnosed, of them 88.8pc or 321,418 patients recovered, including 489 overnight.

The CM said that currently 34,873 patients were under treatment and 33,670 of them were in home isolation, 69 at isolation centres and 1,134 at different hospitals.

He added that the condition of 1,052 patients was stated to be critical, including 76 shifted to ventilators. According to the chief minister, out of 919 new cases, 673 have been detected in Karachi, including 363 in East, 118 in South, 73 in Korangi, 71 in Central, 34 in Malir and 14 in West.

He said that Sanghar had 37 fresh cases, Hyderabad 32, Badin 17, Thatta 16, Umerkot 15, Mirpurkhas 14, Naushahro Feroze nine, Jamshoro and Tharparkar seven each, Kashmore and Khairpur four each, Shaheed Benazirabad and Shikarpur two each and Sukkur one.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2021