Health Desk:
Increasing deaths of aged people in remote areas of Balochistan have sent alarm bells across the province. The province has seen a sharp rise in the number of deaths during the last two months since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
Most of the deaths are being reported from Balochistan’s Pishin and Killa Abdullah districts and the provincial capital, Quetta. “Over 70 people have died within 15 days in two tehsils of district Pishin”, a senior administration official of the district who declined to be named told the daily Quetta Voice. The tehsils include Huramzai and Karezat of district Pishin. Since the people consider the COVID19 as a social stigma, therefore, people refuse to accept deaths caused by the coronavirus, he added.
Chief Minister Balochistan, Jam Kamal Khan had also directed the concerned commissioners and deputy commissioners to compile the data of people who died since October 2019 to May 2020.
From October 2019 to 20th of May 2020, around 50 rise of deaths has been recorded in district Pishin, the officer mentioned. Data shows that most of the people have died of heart attack, kidney failure, traffic accidents, and other diseases, the officer informed.
“Yes we have taken notice of the sudden rise in deaths of aged people”, Liaquat Shahwani, the Spokesman government of Balochistan told the daily Quetta Voice. Unreported deaths have increased since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Mr. Shahwani said.
The government plans to increase the testing capacity then reasons behind all deaths would be confirmed, the Spokesman said.
The Balochistan Corona Cell has so far confirmed the death of 41 people by the deadly virus. However, independent sources put the number much higher than what is being quoted by the officials.
As per the 2017 census, Pishin and Killa Abdullah’s population is around 1.6 million. However, the underlying reason behind increasing cases of COVID19 in these districts is close and regular contact and interaction of its inhabitants in Quetta and Karachi.
Covid-19: Sharp rise in deaths of aged people in Balochistan
