Karachi doctor Abdul Qadir Soomro loses battle against COVID-19

KARACHI: In an unfortunate event, Dr Abdul Qadir Soomro, who was serving at a private hospital of a charitable organization in Karachi, has become the first medic victim of coronavirus from the city, ARY NEWS reported.

He was treating the virus patients at a health facility in Gulshan-e-Hadeed area of the city when he contracted the infection on April 02.

He was shifted to Indus Hospital for treatment and remained on a ventilator, before he lost his battle against the virus on Monday.

The doctor, who was a medical superintendent of Alkhidmat Fareeda Yaqoob Hospital, a charity hospital, has played an important role in establishing a special ward for treating COVID-19 patients.

The ward at the hospital was equipped with three ventilators to treat intensive care patients along with other basic facilities.

It is pertinent to mention here that Dr Usama Riaz became the first doctor in the country who died after contracting the virus in Gilgit-Baltistan on March 22 and since then many doctors across the country have tested positive for the virus mainly due to lack of availability of the personal protective equipment (PPE).

A female doctor at Karachi’s Abbasi Shaheed Hospital was found infected with novel coronavirus on Saturday, sparking concerns among other medics, paramedics and nurses forced to tend COVID-19 patients without personal protective equipment (PPE).

The hospital administration has allowed the coronavirus-affected medic to get herself admitted in a private hospital for treatment.

Senior director health services Dr Salma Kausar said the health staff discharging duties with the affected doctor have been instructed to self-isolate themselves in their homes for 14 days and take a COVID-19 test.

She said the doctor’s spouse, a healthcare professional at the Civil Hospital, has also been diagnosed with the virus. She said he was performing duties at the Karachi airport where he may have caught the disease while screening passengers.