Afghanistan’s health ministry on Saturday announced 782 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily figure, raising the country’s total to 9,998.
Deputy Public Health Minister Wahid Majrooh said that 11 people died over the past 24 hours, taking death toll to 216.
He said that the new 782 infection cases were detected from 1,528 samples tested in laboratories. 377 of those cases were related to Kabul.
Meanwhile, 1,040 coronavirus patients have recovered since the outbreak began in the country, including 44 over the past 24 hours.
Afghanistan ranks 168th in the world in infant mortality rate, 176th for maternal mortality and 173rd in life expectancy of all citizens, according to the most recently available World Bank data.
Earlier, a watchdog report to the United States Congress has warned that Afghanistan, beset by a poor healthcare system, malnutrition, war and other vulnerabilities, waslikelyfacing a “health disaster” from the coronavirus.
Mohibullah Barekzai, head of Mohammad Ali Janah hospital in Kabul, told 1TV up to 50 patients visit the facility daily, of which up to 10 are hospitalized.
Some patients, however, criticized lack of care at the hospital.
Ahmad, a relative of patient at the hospital, said that he would take his father home despite being in critical condition.
