“We will again see what the problem is and whether they [quarantined pilgrims] need further treatment, they will be moved to DHQ or the city hospital, but if they can be treated here, we will give them treatment here.”

These were the last words of young doctor Usama Riaz, heard in a video recorded at a quarantine center in Sakwar, Gilgit – where he ultimately ended up contracting the novel coronavirus while checking on pilgrims returning from Iran and Iraq.

“Usama was constantly on duty and unfortunately was without the necessary protective equipment to handle coronavirus patients,” a doctor said, referring to his video, in which Riaz is seen wearing a plain mask. The video went viral on social media and attracted sympathy for the young doctor.

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According to relatives, Riaz returned home on Friday evening from duty and went to bed. “But he could not wake up the next morning,” the relative said, adding that he was rushed to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and then the District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital, where a CT scan machine was found to be out of order. The relatives appealed to fly him to Islamabad for treatment, but this was also unsuccessful.

The 26-year-old Riaz, a resident of Chila town, was then put on ventilator at DHQ Gilgit, where he remained for the next three days before dying on Sunday.

“It is a national tragedy and we will award him the status of national hero,” Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman told The Express Pakinomist.

“He was our front line defense and we honor his sacrifice.”

Riaz’s death brings the number of fatalities in Pakistan to five. The country has so far over 800 known cases of the virus. Sindh has reported the highest number of cases.

Mehtabur Rehman, a local journalist who visited the quarantine center said, “I visited the center where Usama was posted and found the situation deplorable”.

“In terms of protective equipment, there was nothing like that on the ground,” said the journalist, who was later quarantined on ‘suspicion’ of visiting the center without following standard operating procedures. Rehman termed the quarantine as a vendetta to expose the government’s false claims.

Young doctor screening coronavirus patients dies of COVID-19 in Gilgit

The Pakistan Medical Association of Gilgit-Baltistan (PMA GB) reacted to Riaz’s death and accused the government of showing negligence towards the genuine problems of the doctors.

“Dr Riaz had contracted COVID-19 due to the negligence of the government and its health department,” said President PMA GB Dr. Zulfiqar Ali while addressing a press conference in Gilgit.