KARACHI: It has emerged that the number of deaths in Karachi hospitals have surged rapidly as a large number of patients are either being brought in dead or near-death condition and they die in few hours of their arrival.

An investigative report published in The News International has revealed that over 300 such patients were brought to private and public hospitals in last two weeks. All of them either died on arrival (DOA) or had symptoms of coronavirus disease.

The newspaper has cited a doctor on emergency duty at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) as saying that a 35-year-old woman was brought dead to him and upon her x-ray examination it was revealed that she was suffering from a respiratory disease as a large patch on her lungs was visible in the x-ray report.

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He said the report was sent to a senior pulmonologist, who was treating coronavirus patients, who said that it was most likely a COVID-19 victim.

Doctors said that only few cases could be examined, while majority of patients’ neither x-ray could be taken nor post-mortem could be conducted.

A critical care specialist at JPMC told that the number of critical cases, who either died on arrival or within few hours, rose every day since last few weeks. The patients were within the age group of 45 and 60 with exception for few cases.

In last 15 days, 109 patients were brought dead and 90 others were brought in very critical condition, who died mysteriously in a very short time at JPMC.

Medical staff of private hospitals showed reluctance in talking about the cases, however they acknowledged that the number of pneumonia-like symptoms in patients has been climbing. Indus Hospital sources also admitted that the number of patients in critical condition had soared sharply