BY: Mool Raj
Through the medium of your esteemed daily newspaper, I would like to express my view on the work of Front line Warriors who are protecting us from pandemic disease. They are our first line of defence in the battle against the pandemic. It should not end up becoming their last stand.
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In a situation aptly described in the language of war, medical personnel are under increasing pressure as COVID-19 cases in India are rising. In developed countries like America and Spain number of coronavirus cases effecting healthcare workers have been numerous. In India ill equipped doctors and nurses dealing with a frightened yet largely misinformed public are doubly at peril. In our Country few doctors succumbed to the disease while many more and several healthcare workers have already been stricken with COVID-19 in various parts of the country.
Medical personnel are faced with many challenges in the present situation. For one they have to deal with a rapidly increasing workload that has seen far better health system in the west come close to collapse and we are only at the beginning of a long, gruelling ordeal. Then there is global shortage of personal protection equipment, vital for medical staff dealing directly with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. Even though large number of N-95 masks have been recently donated by other countries to us but a steady supply is crucial because they need to be replaced fairly quickly Ensuring timely delivery also requires proper planning and coordination.
Meanwhile healthcare workers have to perform with whatever protective gear they have available. The public must also exhibit a far more responsible attitude in their interaction with medical personnel at a time when carelessness or deceit can cost lives. There are accounts of suspected COVID-19 patients deliberately concealing facts such as their travel history, an important consideration to determine the course of action to be taken. There are number of such cases which took place recently which led to number of on duty doctors, nurses and paramedical staff being placed in quarantine after the patient who subsequently died tested positive for the disease.
Last but not least this of course also illustrates that health protocols must be quickly amended to deal with a situation though not a simple task in the midst of a pandemic. Finally even as we can salute the courage of our front line Warriors the best we can do for them is to follow the infection prevention guidelines and stay healthy.
- The writer hails from Bhagota area of Distt. Doda
