A group of doctors in Germany have posted pictures of them in the nude on a website to draw attention to shortages of protective clothing and equipment in the country.
They have called the protest Blanke Bedenken (naked qualms).
The group of general physicians claim that their call for help over several months has gone unheeded and that they feel at risk from coronavirus without access to proper protective gear.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Germany in January, doctors have repeatedly appealed for more PPE.
Firms making protective clothing have increased their production capacities, but haven’t been able to meet the increased demand.
According to a report by The Guardian, in early April, protective face masks destined for Berlin were allegedly intercepted at Bangkok Airport and were reportedly diverted to the US.
The doctors have even initiated a petition on the blankebedenken website to this effect and it has signatures of about 1,000 doctors.
Ruben Bernau, a general physician in the group, told the Ärztezeitung, a German newspaper for physicians and other medical professionals, that he and his practice team were insufficiently equipped to deal with the virus.
“The nudity is a symbol of how vulnerable we are without protection,” he added.
Theft of disinfectant and masks from hospitals has also been reported by medical staff. The police have blamed organised criminal gangs for the same and this has led to hospitals increasing their security.
PPE is most needed in areas of North-Rhine Westphalia and Bavaria.
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed 6,126 lives in Germany so far.
