Islamabad, Mar 23: A 26-year-old Pakistani doctor has become the country’s first medic to die after contracting the novel coronavirus while treating the COVID-19 patients in Gilgit region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, officials said on Monday.
Usma Riaz was treating the patients who recently returned from Iraq and Iran.
Pakistan, which borders Iran and China, two of the most affected countries by the deadly coronavirus, has reported five deaths and nearly 800 persons have been infected.
Riaz was part of a 10-member team of the doctors tasked with screening patients returning from downtowns, particularly those arriving there from Iran via Taftan. He later started providing services to the suspected patients in isolation centres established for them in Gilgit.
Riaz belonged to Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). He came home on Friday night but could not get the next day. He was first rushed to a military hospital and then to district hospital. He was put on ventilator and died on Sunday, according to his family.
GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed the death of the young physician who is the first doctor to die in the battle against the deadly virus.
Covuid -19: First doctor dies in Pak
