Pakistan: Five docs, one cop test positive for COVID 19 in Karachi

Local transmission is taking place in the country, reports said.

As the number of confirmed coronavirus patients continues to grow with most becoming victims of local transmission, the personnel of law-enforcement agencies and health workers are becoming more exposed to the threat as in just two days a police officer and five doctors tested positive for the pandemic, officials and sources told Dawn News.

“Four doctors of a major private hospital and one from some other private health facility came into contact with the virus while performing their duties,” said an official while citing details of total local transmission cases to Dawn News.

“The doctors, we all know, are the front-line force in fight against the coronavirus and [are] more vulnerable compared to other people. In total 189 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Karachi, 131 are patients of local transmission, which is an alarming sign,” the official added.

According to media reports, several health workers and volunteers in the coutry were not supplied with protective gear.

“I have been receiving calls one after another from doctors and health workers who want PMA to play its role and talk to the government. I believe that the health workers are doing extraordinarily great service but they also need to be protected. I appeal to both the provincial and federal governments to provide these workers PPE [personal protective equipment] who are exposed to the virus due to their professional contribution,”  Dr Qaiser Sajjad of the PMA told Dawn News.

Speaking on the issue of a cop testing positive for the virus, a police spokesman told Dawn News: "One case of coronavirus (Covid-19) was confirmed in an official of the Sindh police."

Pakistan has reported 1526 cases so far.