Senior journalist Fakhruddin Syed passed away due to the coronavirus, early on Thursday morning at Peshawar’s Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC).
The journalist had been in home isolation after testing positive for the virus but was shifted to the hospital five days ago after his condition worsened. His condition deteriorated on Wednesday night, following which he was shifted to the intensive care unit and put on ventilator.
HMC spokesperson Toueed Zulfiqar said that Syed was being treated with plasma from recovered patients. “His health condition improved after plasma therapy.”
Syed was working for the TV channel 92 News. Previously he had worked for several reputed media organisations including Roznama Jihad, Roznama Pakistan, Aaj News and DawnNewsTV.
He leaves behind a widow and two daughters.
The KP government announced to give Syed’s family Rs1 million as compensation.
Last month, senior journalist Zafar Rasheed Bhatti, 70, passed away due to the coronavirus. Bhatti, 70, had served as the head of the English desk at Associated Press of Pakistan and led the union of the state news agency.
A report released by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists says that the novel coronavirus has claimed the lives of three media persons in the country and infected 156 others.
Camera journalists and photojournalists have been the biggest sufferers since the outbreak of Covid-19.
