GILGIT BALTISTAN: A young doctor who spearheaded the fight against the coronavirus in the region and sacrificed his life will be awarded the status of a national hero.
Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman has expressed that the country would award Dr Usama Riaz the status of a national hero, adding that the doctor was the frontline defence whose sacrifice would be honoured.
The young physician has become the first Pakistani doctor who died from the deadly disease. He reportedly contracted the virus while checking suspected patients who were returning from Taftan to the region.
The 26-year old was found unconscious after returning home from work late Friday night and never woke up the next day. He was rushed to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and district headquarter hospital but could not respond.
He remained for the next three days before passing away on Sunday. A swab test was conducted twice on the physician which confirmed positive for coronavirus.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has risen to 887 as three more cases have been reported from Punjab reported today.Sindh has remained the worst affected province from the coronavirus with a total of 394 cases.
The provincial health department has informed that 61 new confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Sindh. Simultaneously, the spokesperson of CM Punjab has confirmed that 246 coronavirus cases have been reported in the province so far.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has informed that the number of cases in the province stands at 38 after seven new patients were reported. In Balochistan, the chief secretary of the province had informed that the confirmed cases of coronavirus had reached 108.
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