LAHORE: Dr. Arsalan Shah has been in a Dera Ghazi Khan isolation ward in Pakistan’s Punjab province for nearly a week now. The 27-year-old cardiologist is housed with nine other doctors, all of whom have tested positive for coronavirus.
In the ward, mornings and afternoons are spent alone in individual rooms, but the 10 colleagues usually get together and talk during the evenings.
“The topic of discussion is always the same. When will we get back to work?” Dr. Shah told Arab News.
“We can’t be sitting around doing nothing. Not right now, not when we are needed the most.”
Shah was posted at a quarantine facility for COVID-19 carriers late last month. He never came in direct contact with any patient although he had to regularly interact with other health care providers that required him to move in and out of wards and intensive-care units.
Some of the men and women had Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), but not all.
“Some of us didn’t even have basics like N-95 masks,” he said.
Earlier this week, nearly 60 doctors in the southwestern city of Quetta were arrested while protesting the lack of PPEs to shield them from the deadly virus. They were later released after a two-day-long stalemate over how to resolve the issue.
When Shah developed a mild fever and cough, he said he decided to have himself tested as a precaution. On April 4, Shah and nine doctors were diagnosed positive.
Still, the cardiologist said he does not blame the government for not providing the required number of protection suits, masks and gloves.
“I understand that Pakistan has very few resources,” he said over the phone from his ward.
“As doctors, I think we are already mentally prepared to fight this war with whatever little resources we have.”
But others say protection measures at hospitals are inadequate. Many health care workers in quarantine wards are only using surgical masks and gloves to shield themselves from the contagion, whereas the National Command and Operation Center has issued comprehensive guidelines regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and its usage by medical staff.
An instruction manual lists down health care workers who qualify to be provided complete protection equipment. As per the manual, only those providing direct care to COVID-19 patients, including those performing the physical examination of patients with respiratory symptoms, ambulance drivers, laboratory technicians and officials tasked to trace out suspected cases of coronavirus, will be given hazmat suits.
Pakistan has 1,279 public hospitals and 220,829 registered doctors for a population of over 207 million, according to Pakistan’s Economic Survey 2018-2019. This amounts to one doctor for every 963 people.
As of April 11, more than 4,970 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Pakistan, and 77 deaths. Of those infected, 83 are doctors. However, adding the number of infected nurses, technicians and sanitary staff at hospitals across the country, the number of health care professionals hit by coronavirus has neared 111, according to data provided to Arab News by health departments in four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
There are 36 health care professionals infected by coronavirus in southern Sindh province-- and 29 of them are doctors, Meeran Yousaf, media coordinator at the Sindh health department told Arab News. Similarly, the number of infected health care workers — doctors and paramedics included — in Punjab is recorded at 28, according to Hafiz Qaiser Abbas from the primary and secondary health department of Punjab.
Southwestern Balochistan has reported 30 health care workers hit by the coronavirus out of which 18 are doctors, Dr. Waseem Baig, spokesman for the DG health and civil hospital Balochistan, told Arab News.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded 15 health workers downed with the infectious disease, eight of them doctors, according to Dr. Ikram Ullah Khan, director of public health KP.
Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir did not report any cases of infected doctors until Saturday, though of the two physicians who died from the virus in the country, one belonged to GB.
On April 9, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that if the number of COVID-19 patients kept surging, it could put a lot of pressure on hospitals by the end of April.
Medical professionals fear this could further strain Pakistan’s health care system, as staffing problems become more acute.
“I worked in an emergency ward at a public hospital in Mardan,” Dr. Zia-ur-Rehman, a doctor in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told Arab News over the phone.
“We would at times receive hundreds of patients in a day. That is even more dangerous because any of those patients could have been a carrier.”
Rehman’s fears were not unfounded. On April 4, he tested positive for COVID-19 after feeling feverish. He is now a week into his treatment at an isolation ward in the same city.
“What doctors are doing today is no ordinary duty,” Rehman said, “They are serving humanity. Protecting them should be the government’s first priority.”
He suggested the state procure protection suits on an emergency basis.
“Please, it is my request, save the men and women working on the front lines so they can save you.”
Additional reporting by Nazar ul Islam
Over 100 healthcare workers infected with Covid-19 in Pakistan
https://arab.news/vh63c
Over 100 healthcare workers infected with Covid-19 in Pakistan
- According to an official manual, only those providing direct care to COVID-19 patients will get hazmat suits
- Doctors insist that those working outside isolation wards are also vulnerable and can contract the virus
Islamabad says Iranian authorities confirm killing of two Pakistanis in Sistan-Baluchistan
- Pakistan says efforts underway to repatriate bodies of its nationals, Mujahid and Mohammed Faheem, from Iran
- Pakistan and Iran are often at odds over instability on their shared, porous border plagued by militant attacks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the killing of two Pakistanis in Iran’s volatile Sistan-Baluchistan province, saying that efforts were underway to repatriate the bodies.
In a brief statement, the foreign office spokesperson said Iranian authorities have confirmed the killing of Pakistani nationals named Mujahid and Mohammed Faheem in Sistan-Baluchistan. However, the statement did not mention how the two were killed.
The spokesperson said Pakistan’s embassy in Tehran is in “active communication” with Iranian authorities, who were extending the necessary support and assistance.
“Efforts are being made to repatriate the dead bodies as soon as necessary administrative and legal requirements are fulfilled,” he said.
Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly from economically disadvantaged areas, frequently cross into Iran to take up informal work in sectors such as vehicle repair, construction and agriculture.
One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baloch minority and religiously motivated militants.
Eight Pakistanis were killed in its Mehrestan County in April. The attack was claimed by the Balochistan National Army (BNA), one of several separatist outfits operating in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.
Pakistan and Iran have had a history of rocky relations despite a number of commercial pacts, with Islamabad being historically closer to Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Both countries are often at odds over instability on their shared porous border, routinely trading blame for not rooting out militancy.
Pakistan energy minister says net metering to be reformed, not scrapped
- Net metering allows consumers to generate electricity through solar panels and sell excess power back to the national grid
- Minister says expansion of net metering now impacting national grid, reforms needed to address this in a “timely manner”
KARACHI: Pakistan will not abolish its solar net metering policy but is working to reform the mechanism to make it more “transparent and sustainable,” Energy Minister Sardar Awais Leghari said on Wednesday.
Net metering allows consumers to generate electricity through solar panels and sell excess power back to the national grid, receiving credits or monetary compensation in return. The policy was introduced in 2017 to promote renewable energy and ease pressure on the national grid.
“The government is not abolishing net metering but is considering changing its current mechanism to a more effective, transparent and sustainable model,” the Ministry of Energy’s Power Division said in a statement.
The minister said the expansion of net metering was now impacting the national grid and reforms were needed to address this in a “timely manner.”
Pakistan’s current policy pays Rs21 per unit of solar electricity, resulting in a government subsidy of Rs1.90 per unit, according to the energy ministry. Officials say the cost is ultimately borne by domestic and industrial consumers, effectively subsidizing wealthier users who can afford to install solar panels.
Leghari said the government may align the solar purchase rate with overall energy procurement prices, allowing it to adjust with market fluctuations. However, he stressed that the aim was not to eliminate incentives.
“We are not saying that net metering consumers should provide us with electricity at the rates of the cheapest sources of electricity,” Leghari said. “These reforms are not a deterrent, but a step toward a better, balanced and sustainable system.”
He said the typical payback period for solar investments in Pakistan was around three years, provided that consumers use 40 percent of the electricity they generate.
Leghari also said the government was in discussions with the International Monetary Fund about the scheme but stressed “there is no direct financial pressure on us.”
In a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Leghari said the government was reviewing all stakeholder proposals and would not take steps that harmed businesses.
“We strongly hope that any changes in these regulations will be in the best interest of all stakeholders, the national grid and the electricity consumers of Pakistan,” he said.
In January, Leghari called for a review of the net metering policy, saying it was becoming financially unsustainable. A government report from last year said the existing net metering framework had shifted a burden of Rs103 billion ($366 million) onto other electricity consumers in 2024.
Pakistan has set a goal of generating 60 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and cutting projected carbon emissions by 50 percent. But the country remains far behind on those targets, despite growing solar adoption and abundant sunlight across most regions.
Pakistani PM reiterates gratitude to Trump, Gulf nations for India ceasefire
- US President Donald Trump brokered ceasefire between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on May 10
- Shehbaz Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia on Thursday to thank Kingdom for support during India standoff
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked US President Donald Trump and Gulf countries for helping defuse Pakistan’s tensions with India following an armed conflict between the nuclear-armed nations last month.
Trump announced he had helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10 after the worst fighting between the two countries since 1999. Following weeks of tensions, India and Pakistan pounded each other with artillery, fighter jets, missiles and drones in May before agreeing to cease hostilities.
Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also engaged both Indian and Pakistani officials throughout the conflict to help defuse tensions.
“[US] President [Donald] Trump has shown, beyond a ray of doubt and imagination, that he is a man for peace,” Sharif said at a ceremony at the US embassy in connection with the upcoming American Independence Day.
“He is a man for promoting peace and beneficial business needs. He is a man who is against escalation,” he added.
Days after the ceasefire agreement was announced, Trump said he used trade to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan.
Sharif noted Trump had advised both countries to promote trade and investments instead of fighting each other. The Pakistani premier appreciated Trump’s “outstanding contribution” to broker the ceasefire.
The Pakistani premier hoped the ceasefire would last between the two countries and lead to increased trade and investment.
“I hope and pray to God Almighty that this will become a long, lasting ceasefire on which we can build an edifice of investments, trade, pollution and so on so forth,” he said.
The Pakistani premier also appreciated the role played by Middle Eastern countries in resolving the dangerous conflict.
“And here, obviously, I’d like to mention the role of our friendly and brotherly countries in the Gulf, in the Middle East, who proactively coordinated with us and supported President Trump’s genuine efforts,” Sharif said.
Sharif will travel to Saudi Arabia on a day-long visit to the Kingdom on Thursday, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said.
The Pakistani premier will thank the Saudi leadership for its solidarity and support to Pakistan throughout the India standoff, Dar said.
Pakistan, UK discuss strengthening cooperation in railways sector
- Pakistan Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi meets British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Islamabad
- Pakistan’s railway sector faces several challenges which caused train derailments, fatal accidents
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott on Wednesday discussed bilateral cooperation between the two nations with a special focus on railways, state-run media reported.
Pakistan’s railway sector faces several challenges such as an aging infrastructure, outdated tracks, locomotives and signal systems. Poor maintenance and a lack of modern safety measures often contribute to train derailments and accidents. Notable tragedies include the 2005 Ghotki train disaster, which killed over 130 people and a 2021 train collision that left at least 65 people dead.
As opposed to that, the UK has one of the densest railway networks in Europe with almost all major towns and cities connected by rail.
“Pakistan and the United Kingdom have emphasized joint measures to further strengthen their bilateral trade and economic relations, with special focus on the railways sector,” state-run media reported following Abbasi’s meeting with Marriot in Islamabad.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said Abbasi called for “a comprehensive strategy” between Pakistan and the United Kingdom to develop and modernize the former’s railway sector.
“He said Pakistan is ready to fully benefit from UK’s expertise in modernizing the railways infrastructure in the country and improving performance of this sector,” Radio Pakistan said.
Abbasi said the two countries would continue to work together on mutual interest railways projects that will benefit their economies and improve public transportation.
Pakistan has recently attempted to improve its railway infrastructure to ensure economic growth and development.
In March, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) officials agreed to expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the railways sector.
Abbasi had said Pakistan Railways is continuously working to improve its services through long-term agreements with domestic and international suppliers, emphasizing that Islamabad offers a business-friendly environment and presents significant opportunities for investors.
Pakistan reports second death of 2025 from deadly brain-eating amoeba
- Naegleria fowleri, with a 98 percent fatality rate, spreads when contaminated water enters through the nose
- Victim, a Karachi resident, used water at home and nearby mosque for ablution, says Sindh government
KARACHI: A 23-year-old man died in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi this week after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the Sindh Health Department said on Wednesday, marking the second death of the year from the deadly brain-eating amoeba.
Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, has a fatality rate of over 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be spread from person to person.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with more than 100 reported deaths since the first confirmed infection in 2008. Five fatalities were recorded in 2024 alone.
In the latest case the deceased, a resident of Karachi’s Orangi Town area, was hospitalized on May 30 after suffering from symptoms on May 28. He died on June 3 after the presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient on June 1.
“Upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any water-related activities,” the Sindh Health Department said. “His only exposure was regular use of water at home and use of water at a nearby local mosque to perform ablution.”
Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection include severe headache, altered sense of taste, high fever, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting. Death typically occurs within five to seven days of infection.
The health department confirmed this was the second death in Pakistan from Naegleria fowleri in 2025. The first death was reported in March when a 36-year-old woman died from the same disease. She was also a resident of Karachi.
A 2021 study by the Sindh Health Department found that 95 percent of water samples in Karachi, Sindh’s provincial capital, were unfit for human consumption.
Experts say the contamination leads to the spreading of the brain-eating amoeba among the city’s residents.
