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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Kurdish pharmaceutical giant died from COVID-19 induced health complications on Wednesday, a family member confirmed.
Ali Hassan Smaqa, known as Ali Qambur, died in Turkey a week after his initial infection.
"His health had not been doing well for a week after contracting coronavirus," Kosar Othman, his cousin, told Rudaw. "After staying in the hospital for a few days, he died last night at 9:30pm."
Othman said the family had decided to send him to Turkey for treatment. His body will be repatriated to the Kurdistan Region and buried in Erbil, he added.
The deceased, 49, who is survived by eight children, was the General Manager of the large Hoz Group, which imports pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, and the CEO of Awamedica Pharmaceutical Company, another massive drug trading company in the Kurdistan Region.
This week, the Kurdistan Region has seen record numbers of coronavirus cases. Wednesday was the highest single day rise, with 1,078, since the first case of the virus was confirmed in the Kurdistan Region on March 1.
As of Wednesday evening, the total number of cases in the Region has reached 64,823. Of this number, 38,561 have recovered and 2,226 have died.
"Unfortunately, the number of cases and deaths of coronavirus patients increases every day because of the lack of following health measures and instructions," the ministry said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
The Kurdistan Region implemented several lockdowns in the spring, but lifted most restrictions at the beginning of the summer amid a worsening economic crisis.
Qambur's death of COVID-19 in Turkey comes as health authorities warn that the Region's health care system cannot provide quality care to coronavirus patients.
"We have shortcomings in treating patients due to the economic crisis and we have failed to provide good quality service," Sabah Hawrami, head of Sulaimani health directorate, told Rudaw on October 12, adding that they did not expect the recent spike in cases.
"We did our best to curb the virus and prevent it from reaching this level, and we did not expect the death toll to be this high," he said.
Ali Hassan Smaqa, known as Ali Qambur, died in Turkey a week after his initial infection.
"His health had not been doing well for a week after contracting coronavirus," Kosar Othman, his cousin, told Rudaw. "After staying in the hospital for a few days, he died last night at 9:30pm."
Othman said the family had decided to send him to Turkey for treatment. His body will be repatriated to the Kurdistan Region and buried in Erbil, he added.
The deceased, 49, who is survived by eight children, was the General Manager of the large Hoz Group, which imports pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, and the CEO of Awamedica Pharmaceutical Company, another massive drug trading company in the Kurdistan Region.
This week, the Kurdistan Region has seen record numbers of coronavirus cases. Wednesday was the highest single day rise, with 1,078, since the first case of the virus was confirmed in the Kurdistan Region on March 1.
As of Wednesday evening, the total number of cases in the Region has reached 64,823. Of this number, 38,561 have recovered and 2,226 have died.
"Unfortunately, the number of cases and deaths of coronavirus patients increases every day because of the lack of following health measures and instructions," the ministry said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
The Kurdistan Region implemented several lockdowns in the spring, but lifted most restrictions at the beginning of the summer amid a worsening economic crisis.
Qambur's death of COVID-19 in Turkey comes as health authorities warn that the Region's health care system cannot provide quality care to coronavirus patients.
"We have shortcomings in treating patients due to the economic crisis and we have failed to provide good quality service," Sabah Hawrami, head of Sulaimani health directorate, told Rudaw on October 12, adding that they did not expect the recent spike in cases.
"We did our best to curb the virus and prevent it from reaching this level, and we did not expect the death toll to be this high," he said.
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