PESHAWAR: Four persons, including an ENT specialist, passed away due to Covid-19 infection on Wednesday, raising the province-wide death tally to 869 amid directives by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to fast track work on utilisation of Peshawar Institute of Cardiology for coronavirus patients.

Dr Fazle Mabood, who had been admitted to ICU of Hayatabad Medical Complex for the last one week, breathed his last Wednesday morning.

A report by health department said that the province also recorded 499 new cases during the last 24 hours, making the overall count of coronavirus patients 23,887. It said that 1,712 people were also recovered from the sickness, taking the number of total treated people from the disease to 11,097.

The number of people fallen to the infection reached 422 in Peshawar with five new fatalities. The district also reported 152 new patients, raising number of total cases to 8,257. The capital city is atop of the list of deaths and cases registered due to Covid-19.

Death toll due to pandemic reaches 869 in KP

Swat, another hard-hit district, saw death of three persons due to the infection, where total number of fatalities due to the virus rose to 86. The district also detected 74 new patients, raising the total number of cases to 2,339. Swat is second to Peshawar on the scorecard of deaths as well as new patients.

Two persons fell prey to the virus in Dir Upper where total number of deaths due to the pandemic reached 12. The district also reported 13 more positive cases, making its total number of cases 589.

One person died in Nowshera where total fatalities due to Covid-19 reached 34. The district also reported 24 new patients, making its overall cases 676.

The number of deceased persons in Swabi reached 19 with one more death. The district has so far reported 368 cases. Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan reported one death each where number of fatalities from the pandemic reached five and 11, respectively.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan instructed the health department to speed up work on utilisation of the newly-constructed Peshawar Institute of Cardiology for Covid-19 patients, a statement said.

The directives were issued at a meeting of Provincial Task Force on Covid-19 held on Wednesday with chief Minister. The meeting also gave go ahead to the health department to conduct walk-in-interviews for hiring of human resource of different cadres to functionalise PIC for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

Communication and works department, PTCL and Pesco were directed to ensure immediate utility connections in the building.

Provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Shaukat Yousafzai, Adviser to CM Ajmal Wazir, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood, Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir, IGP Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, administrative secretaries of the departments concerned and other relevant high-ups attended the meeting, which was briefed in detail about the latest situation of Covid-19 across the province, enforcement of smart lockdown, progress made so far to enhance the capacity of public sector hospitals and other matters related to the pandemic.

The chief minister said that the issue of SOPs violation should be taken up with the representatives of traders.

The meeting also stressed the need for devising an effective strategy to contain the possible outbreak of coronavirus pandemic during the upcoming Eidul Azha and constituted a committee headed by secretary home for the purpose.

It was also decided that cattle markets would be established only in the specific areas under proper SOPs for buying and selling of sacrificial animals.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2020