GPs posted naked selfies to draw attention to healthcare workers fighting on the German coronavirus frontline without protective equipment and clothing
- Blanke Bedenken aim to tell Germany’s health ministers their calls for PPE weren’t heard
- The group said ‘when we run out of what little we have, we look like this’
- Firms producing the equipment increased production but didn’t meet demands
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
GPs have posted naked selfies to draw attention to the shortage of protective equipment and clothing for healthcare workers on the German coronavirus frontline.
The group Blanke Bedenken aim to tell Germany‘s health ministers that their calls over several months for more protective gear weren’t heard.
They said ‘when we run out of what little we have, we look like this’, suggesting that going to work without PPE in the current crisis is like being naked.
One GP in the group told ÄrzteZeitung: ‘The nudity is a symbol of how vulnerable we are without protection.’
GPs in Germany posted naked photos to draw attention to the shortage of protective clothing and equipment on the coronavirus frontline
One doctor sat behind toilet rolls and wore one on her head as she used a blue face mask with red spots
Members of the group said they felt at risk from coronavirus and many doctors have repeatedly asked for more kit since the first cases of the bug in Germany in January.
Firms producing the equipment increased the amount they were producing but still didn’t meet demands.
Filter masks, goggles, gloves and aprons were frequently requested by medical practices, clinics and care homes but they say their needs have barely been met, The Mirror reported.
Two medics sat either side of a skeleton in a hat outside. They wore only stethoscopes as they covered themselves by crossing their legs
They said ‘when we run out of what little we have, we look like this’, suggesting that going to work without PPE in the current crisis is like being naked
The group Blanke Bedenken aims to tell Germany’s health ministers that their calls over several months for more protective gear weren’t heard
The petition has been signed by more than 1,000 people so far.
At the beginning of April protective face masks destined for Berlin were allegedly intercepted at Bangkok Airport.
They were reportedly diverted to the US, prompting angry German officials to blast Donald Trump for the move.
Members of the group said they felt at risk of coronavirus and many doctors have repeatedly asked for more kit since the first cases of the bug in Germany in January
One medic stands underneath a clear umbrella while someone sticks a plaster to the outside
One medic posed with a stethoscope around his neck and a red and yellow backpack in front of him
Firms producing the protective equipment increased the amount they were producing but still didn’t meet demands
The petition to Germany’s health ministers has been signed by more than 1,000 people so far
Berlin’s interior minister Andreas Geisel said: ‘We consider that an act of modern piracy.’
Yesterday Germany recorded 1,018 new coronavirus cases which is the smallest jump in the country for more than six weeks.
The new infections are the fewest since March 14, when the figure was last in the hundreds.
The mortality rate is 3.7 per cent, which is lower than Italy, Spain and Britain which have rates of 13.5, 11.2 and 13.6 per cent respectively.
This has allowed Germany to start edging out of lockdown but experts warned against complacency.
Masks on all of Germany’s public transport were made compulsory yesterday, with some states imposing stricter rules and demand them in shops too.