The unmatched services and untiring efforts rendered by the health professionals to the cause of eradicating the novel coronavirus are highly commendable. They are only custodians of the patients in these testing times. But most lamentably, they are poorly equipped with personal protective equipments (PPE) which is triggering an ambience of panic among them.

Valiant, stalwart and dedicated doctors, paramedics, nurses and other health-related workers need our moral support and appreciation who are putting their lives at stake for the sake of ailing humanity. We must do a favour for them to ease their burden by staying at home and acting upon precautions recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The initiative launched by the government to salute doctors is a laudable move but sending frontline soldiers in a biological war without provision of any safety equipments is tantamount to jeopardizing their lives. They are developing pressure in the span of work owing inadequate deliverance of protective gear. The safety of doctors is inevitable in battling this gruesome malaise.

Salutes may add to the honour and reverence of doctors but won’t protect their life. Such guard of honour can be conducted after the victory against the COVID-19 pandemic. Important things must rein first that includes assurance of uninterrupted supplies of safety kits, N95 masks, gowns, gloves and other protective equipments so that they could muster their energies in containing the spiralling coronavirus outbreak in the country.

In an unfortunate development, a young physician named Dr Osama Riaz hailing from Gilgit-Baltistan who was on duty of screening pilgrims arriving from Iran via Taftan border lost his life after being contracted by the coronavirus. A bewildering situation is being surfaced wherein doctors and nurses are getting infected by this lethal virus. Five doctors came into contact with the virus while performing duties in Karachi and three doctors and a technician tested positive who were working in isolation wards of different hospitals in Quetta. Doctors are witnessing potential carriers of the virus which is a highly grave matter of health concern.

Doctors and nurses are crying out for protective gear but all hue is cries are falling on deaf ears. They are forced to wear scarves for masks and trash bag for gowns which is alike to inviting the wrath of the virus. In such scenarios, hospitals may witness hotbeds of viral transmission and can depict an alarming picture if doctors start dying, as a consequence, patients would be left at  only for miracles.

Young Doctors Association (YDA) have urged the government multiple times to address the shortage of personal protective equipment’s of the health professionals as they are perpetually exposed to potential patients during their professional contribution. The PPEs should be supplied to the doctors immediately who are fighting the pandemic at the frontline to ensure that they are safe and healthy. Saving doctors is also equivalent to saving patients who must be prioritized at all costs.

The authorities must remember if doctors and nurses start getting infected it would become harder to flatten the

curve and stem the spike of the cases while paving the way to cripple the country’s healthcare system and herald catastrophic repercussions on the already faltering economy. The health authorities must wake up from deep slumber and look into this serious issue before situation gets out of the hand.

The writer is an alumnus of Dynamic English Language Teaching Academy (DELTA) based in Turbat and keeps an avid interest in writing on socio-political issues and can be met at mannansaamad@gmail.com