Eighteen doctors of the orthopaedic ward at Lahore’s General Hospital were diagnosed with coronavirus on Thursday after which the Medical Superintendent (MS) General Hospital closed the orthopaedic ward initially for three days.

According to the management of the Lahore General Hospital, after the doctors tested positive for the virus, the head of the orthopaedic ward has written a letter to the principal stating that the remaining doctors of the ward have been quarantined, therefore, the ward should be closed for at least 10 days.

MS General Hospital Mahmood Tariq noted that the ward has been initially closed for three days and has been disinfected after the surge in cases among the hospital staff.

According to hospital sources, three doctors and two nurses of the Institute of Neuroscience have also tested positive for coronavirus.

According to a World Health Organisation report, Pakistani doctors have emerged as the most-affected ones by coronavirus among their healthcare peers, including paramedics and nurses.