Protect the protectors

Moral support, financial donations and gifts whether in the form of face masks, food or other necessities have been pouring in for doctors, nurses and other health personnel combating the coronavirus outbreak. But the goodwill gestures are not enough.

The country's health personnel deserve better protection whether in the form of medical equipment and personal protective gear from the government and truthful accounts from people who seek their services.

Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam promised the shortage of surgical masks among healthcare workers would soon be over.

He said the government had revamped the distribution of face masks. From Tuesday onward, the government will send the 2.3 million face masks that the country can produce each day to only two ministries: public health and interior.

The public health ministry will receive a larger share of 1.3 million masks a day. The interior ministry will take the remaining one million which will be distributed among village health volunteers and public officials who have to serve the public.

Mr Wissanu said the arrangement would proceed for three to four days until the targeted health workers and public officials have enough masks to cope. After that, retail shops and the public will be allocated quota portions.

The government's plan looks good except on social media Wednesday photos of doctors and nurses making do with reused surgical masks and plastic rain coats while performing operations could still be seen.

These images are unacceptable. It's sad and worrisome that ever since the outbreak started, the first responders to the shortage of medical equipment and protective gear among public health personnel have been online personalities, public figures and certain members of the public.

Although community support has been somewhat effective in relieving the immediate crunch and allowing front-line fighters to carry on their crucial tasks, the approach is temporary and unsustainable.

Ultimately, it's the government's duty to ensure the public health personnel battling the outbreak are protected as best as possible. Putting them at risk of contagion means compromising the limited and precious resources that the country has to fight the outbreak which shows no signs of stopping.

But most important of all, it's a shame for the government and the nation to leave health workers, who are putting their own lives at risk trying to save others, to fend off the contagion without the necessary support.

It's possible the government's change of plan regarding mask distribution and other support for health workers will take time before it produces tangible results. But it is also possible that another implementation delay may occur so the government clearly needs to follow stringently on its new plan.

As for the public, be truthful. At this point, almost 20 health personnel have contracted Covid-19, most by coming into contact with patients. What is most disheartening are cases where the patients apparently lied or failed to disclose that they had been in contact with Covid-19 cases or infection zones.

People must be reminded that concealing coronavirus information carries a legal penalty. More importantly, it's a disservice to doctors and nurses who have to take care of sufferers. They deserve all the support and protection they can get whether in the form of equipment from the government or honesty from fellow citizens.