Beijing: Liu Zhiming, a hospital director at the epicenter of China’s virus epidemic died Tuesday making himself the latest medical worker to fall victim to the corona-virus which has spread across the country.

Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died Tuesday morning after “all-out rescue efforts failed,” China’s CCTV reported.

According to official figures, 1716 medical workers are infected when at least seven medical workers have died so far.

Liu is the first known hospital director to have died from the corona-virus.

The COVID-19 virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan late last year, has spread to more than 72,000 people and killed 1,900 in China.

It is said that Chinese medics are risking their lives to fight the spread of the coronavirus. Authorities said that 1,700 are infected, which accounts for almost 3.8 percent of all those infected in China.

Liu’s death was initially reported by Chinese media and bloggers shortly after midnight on Tuesday — but the stories were later deleted and replaced with reports that doctors were still attempting to save him.

The hospital director’s death has echoes of the death of Wuhan ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, who had been punished by authorities for sounding the alarm about the virus in late December.

(With input from agencies)