Apart from battling the coronavirus pandemic, the health care professionals around the world are also fighting a battle against the shortage of protective clothing and equipment. However, a group of German doctors expressed their resentment by posing naked on the social media sites. Germany has registered over 158,000 coronavirus infections and more than 6,000 deaths.
Doctors claim their requests for PPE has remained unheard
Terming their protest Blanke Bedenken, or Naked Qualms, a group of members posed naked to register their protest against the unavailability of protective gear required to fight coronavirus.
In a tweet @BlankeBedenken, wrote: "Germany had claimed to be well resourced in its coronavirus fight. But the protective clothing, disinfectant and single-use masks were soon not to be had. Despite their concerns about they and their patients being insufficiently protected against contracting the virus, across the country GPs and their teams are caring for people."
Speaking to the Ärztezeitung, Ruben Bernau, a GP maintaining that he and his team was insufficiently equipped to deal with the virus, said: "The nudity is a symbol of how vulnerable we are without protection."
Perturbed over their call for help being unheard for a long time now, the doctors in the group went completely nude, hiding their modesty behind things used in medical practice such as medical files, toilet roles, medical equipment and prescription blocks.
Increased production fails to meet rising demand
According to The Guardian despite the increase in the production of protective clothing by the German manufactures, the demand for protective wear remains unfulfilled. Jana Husemann, another GP, told the publication: "Of course we want to continue treating patients who still need to receive a close examination." For that she required proper PPE, she said.
The demand for filter masks, goggles, gloves, and aprons have increased manifold from the clinics, hospitals and nursing homes in wake of the global pandemic. The publication further reported that following incidents of theft of disinfectant and masks from hospitals, a lot of German hospitals have increased their security.
Daily Mail reported that in the beginning of April a consignment of protective face masks dispatched for Berlin was allegedly intercepted at Bangkok Airport. It was then reportedly diverted to the US, causing German officials to criticize US President Donald Trump. Berlin's interior minister Andreas Geisel said: 'We consider that an act of modern piracy.'
German doctors' nude movement inspired by French doctor
Christian Rechtenwald, who also has a GP practice, stated that the group drew its inspiration from French doctor Alain Colombié. Emphasizing the lack of protective equipment, Dr Alain Colombié, who lives in Pomerols in the southern French department of Herault, posted his nude picture on social media on March 22.
The 61-year-old who sat crossed legs to hide his modesty, wore a white armband with the words "cannon fodder" written on it. "I want to push a stunt and come to the defence of the entire family of healthcare workers. I denounce a guilty lack of preparation, even though I've been communicating about COVID-19 since the end of January," he said.
In Germany, North Rhine Westphalia and Bavaria are the worst affected regions in terms of PPE. Speaking to German media, Marc-Pierre Möll, the chief executive of the German Medical Technology Association, while urging the government to support a structured increase in domestic production, said: "If such organisation was politically desired and there were guaranteed quantities for fair prices, there would be no difficulties."
