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Front Line Warriors

Kashmir Times. Dated: 4/2/2020 1:03:37 AM

Dear Editor,
I would like to express my view on the work of Front line Warriors who are protecting us from pandemic disease through the medium of your daily esteemed newspaper. They are our first line of defence in the battle against the pandemic. It should not end up becoming their last stand.In a situation apatly described in the language of war,medical personnel are under increasing pressure as COVID-19 cases in India begin to rise.In America and Spain number of coronavirus cases effecting healthcare workers.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 .Many more doctors and several healthcare workers who 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 of N-95 masks have been recently donated by other other country 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 make do 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 not a simple task in the midst of a pandemic. Finally even as we were 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.
--Mool Raj
R/O Bhagota (Panjsoo)
Distt.&Teh Doda.