Eight more succumb to pandemic in KP.

Byline: Ashfaq Yusufzai

PESHAWAR -- Eight more people died of Covid-19 on Thursday, taking the province-wide death toll due to the virus to 435.

Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar is becoming the favourite destination of suspected coronavirus patients as it has testing facility as well as offers treatment through plasma immunisation.

The other two medical teaching institutions in Peshawar -- Lady Reading Hospital and Khyber Teaching Hospital -- don't have testing facilities and plasma immunisation for positive coronavirus patients.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 435 deaths from the pandemic and more than 300 of these have occurred in Peshawar-based hospitals, mostly in LRH where 185 have succumbed to the infectious illness.

LRH has been in the limelight owing to more fatalities due to the virus and subsequent resignations by senior faculty members and closure of wards due to infections to staff. Now patients have started visiting HMC to seek treatment.

Peshawar hospitals reeling under load of patients

The doctors say that situation in HMC is likely to turn the LRH's way owing to shortage of beds.

A Covid-19 situation report by health department said that three persons died in Peshawar and one each in Mardan, Swat, Malakand, Abbottabad and Kohat.

Dr Khanzada Shinwari of Shifa Medical Center Hangu district, died of Covid-19 at the Khyber Teaching Hospital on Thursday.

The province reported 359 new cases, the highest number of patients in a single day since the onset of the pandemic, with 114 from Peshawar, 76 from Swat, 23 from Khyber, 20 from Malakand and 12 each from Abbottabad and Dir Lower.

Peshawar, which has recorded 246 deaths and 3,263 Covid-19 cases so far, has been responsible for the main load of the pandemic. As a result, the Peshawar-based hospitals are struggling to cope with patients' load.

LRH, which earned worldwide fame due to management of injured people from bomb and terrorist attacks a couple of years ago, has lately been in the spotlight, for alleged mismanagement of Covid-19 patients.

The hospital has so far admitted more than 600 patients and majority of them have recovered but the mortality rate in LRH is very high compared to KTH and HMC that account for 50 deaths apiece.

The doctors say that government has dedicated 900 beds throughout the province for Covid-19 patients but people continue to visit Peshawar. They say that currently the mainstay of patients is three public sector hospitals in Peshawar that have...