Coronavirus cases in Pakistan are on the rise and according to the latest numbers, there are 64,028 cases of COVID-19 in the country. Healthcare workers, who are fighting on the frontlines, have been badly affected by the virus.
As per reports, until May 28, 17 medical professionals had died of COVID-19 in Pakistan out of the total 1,904 who tested positive; this figure included 299 nurses, 570 others healthcare staff and 1,035 doctors.
This is the total data of medical staff, as far as young doctors are reported, many of these were among them who sacrificed their lives fighting against coronavirus.
Here are a few young doctors who lost their lives because of this pandemic.
Dr Sana Fatima
The doctor lost her life due to coronavirus on May 29. She was admitted to Lahore General Hospital after being tested positive for Covid-19 on May 20.
Salman Tahir
Salman Tahir, an MBBS fourth-year student of a private medical college in Lahore, was admitted due to high fever, but due to the high viral load of the virus, he died in the ICU of a private hospital within 24 hours. Dr. Salman Tahir’s father Prof. Tahir Saleem is in charge of the pediatric ward in a private hospital while his mother Dr. Shabana is a gynecologist in a private hospital.
Mussarat Dilbar
Mussarat Dilbar, a nurse at the Kohat Development Authority (KDA) hospital, was tested positive for the virus a few days ago. She had been admitted to the facility but her health condition continued to worsen and on May 29, she succumbed to the virus.
Dr Usama Riaz
The 26-year-old was infected with the coronavirus while screening infected pilgrims who had returned from Iran and Iraq in Gilgit-Baltistan and lost his life to COVID-19 disease on March 22. He was among the first healthcare workers to succumb to the disease.
Dr Rabia Tayyab
26-year old Rabia Tayyab succumbed to coronavirus at Rawalpindi’s Holy Family Hospital after battling the infection for almost two weeks.
The doctor, who hailed from Gujjar Khan, was the daughter of a renowned teacher Mohammad Tayyab. She graduated from the Quaid-e-Azam Medical College in Bahawalpur and was due to start her house job from May 1.
Healthcare workers are risking their lives and fighting on the forefront to save us from COVID-19. We can play our part in controlling the spread of the virus by following the SOPs and precautionary measures issued by the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Here’s what you can do:
- Avoid going out unnecessarily
- Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub to disinfect them
- Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands. Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze
- Stay home if you feel unwell
- If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention as soon as possible
