The Petroleum Industry Health Organization (PIHO) branch for Fars and Hormuzgan provinces has said in a statement that tough and tragic days are under way. News of contraction of covid-19 or deaths because of this virus is causing pain to everyone. The coronavirus is racing ahead and nothing can stop it. It seems to be targeting the very spirit of our life and we are watching the burial of our desires.

Families who are losing their loved ones are definitely in unfavorable conditions. However, the healthcare staff are more exposed than anyone else to this virus and its consequences. However, they are struggling to overcome this pandemic. 

At a time the coronavirus is racing ahead and claiming lives, the health staff are doing their best under toughest ever physical and mental conditions in order to help covid+ patients recover. However, they are not supermen and superwomen.

We have to believe that the health staff are tired. They have to wear clothes weighing several kilograms. Their days and nights go on while wearing masks, shields, gloves and gowns. That could add to their fatigue. We cannot tolerate face masks even for an hour on our faces. But they are in PPE for long hours.

The high rate of covid contraction in the ranks of health professionals shows that they are not in good health as they are sacrificing their life to save others. 

Furthermore, constant contact between nurses and doctors on one side and patients on the other side expose them to the virus. That explains why health staff are infected at such rate.

Refusal to respect healthcare protocols in social environment and healthcare centers has been instrumental in the high rate of covid-19 contraction and increased pressure on the healthcare staff. But how long can they continue? 

The end of lockdown does not necessarily mean a return to normal. Rather, everyone has to take the coronavirus seriously and make efforts for normalizing affairs.   

The coronavirus is not a challenge to be uncontrollable. It would be enough for people to accept that they should not return to the past. They should accept the existence of the coronavirus and learn to live with it while keeping social distancing.

As no treatment has been endorsed for the coronavirus, the patients have to stay in quarantine at home so as to not become the source of transmission to others. The parents and children of health staff are entitled to take their loved ones in their arms and therefore we should not behave as if nothing had happened.

As the international community is dealing with the coronavirus, doctors and healthcare staff, particularly those looking after families of petroleum industry staff, are doing a great job. They are in fact making sacrifices to protect others. Their efforts are appreciable and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

The PIHO staff in Fars and Hormuzgan provinces are no exception because their efforts have not been appreciated. With financial bottlenecks at the Ministry of Petroleum, it was impossible for PIHO to partly remunerate their services.  

According to PIHO, it has been announced that some nurses have not received any pay raise despite a directive from the Ministry of Health. PIHO is faced with credit crunch and it has so far failed to consider any pay raise. However, it will try to undertake necessary measures in the future in that direction.

Under such conditions, the only task upon us would be to respect health protocols. It is no difficult job when compared with what the health staff are doing. They work for long hours until they fall asleep from fatigue. 

We have to mitigate our expectations. We have to stay home instead of going out for unnecessary purposes. We have to wear masks every time we are out and we have to delay our trips. We have to take care of our family health because we should believe that our health staff are tired.