A group of German doctors is speaking out by taking it all off.
Doctors in Germany are expressing their frustrations and concerns over the country’s response to coronavirus through a protest in an eye-catching way.
Blanke Bedenken, which translates to Naked/Bare Concerns, is a movement started by German healthcare workers to show how vulnerable and unprotected they feel without the personal protective equipment (PPE) and gear they need to stay safe from contracting the virus. The movement is demanding that the healthcare community be provided with more PPE and asking for people to sign a petition to government leaders asking for the supply to be increased.
The group is made up of mainly family doctors and general practitioners who have taken and posted photographs of themselves nude, to show how vulnerable and unprotected they feel. (The photos show no genitalia or risqué body parts, with strategic items placed to keep the images PG.)
It's powerful imagery—uncomfortable at times, but successful in making an impact on the viewer.
“The nudity is a symbol of how vulnerable we are without protection,” Dr. Ruben Bernau, one member of the group, said in a story in Germany’s Aerztezeitung newspaper.
The movement's website shows a gallery of these images, doctors from all over Germany, baring themselves in hope of raising awareness, and sharing their fears and concerns.
We are your general practitioners.
To be able to treat you safely, we and our team need protective equipment and political support.
When we run out of what little we have, we look like this:
Her sign says she is trained to sew wounds, asking "Why am I now sewing my own facemask?"
The group asks for others to share their photos on the website. They hope to get enough signatures to send the petition in and, hopefully, get more of the masks, gloves, disinfectants, and other supplies they need to right the virus and stay protected. Germany has over 159,000 cases and close to 6,200 deaths, so far, from COVID-19.
Blanke Bedenken was inspired by a French doctor, who shared a similar photo a few weeks ago.
What do you think about this nude protest? We want to hear all about it in the comments.