Webinar tomorrow on frontline fighters during Covid pandemic

Women Empowering Women (WEW) and Bangladesh Organization for Learning & Development (BOLD) will be jointly organizing a webinar titled “Front Line Fighters during COVID Pandemic” which will take place on 10 August, 2020 from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. This initiative is meant to generate dialogue among a selected number of front line fighters, experts, analyst and policy makers.

Introduction:

The term “frontline workers” often conjures images of doctors and soldiers in uniform. But during the coronavirus outbreak, workers across a vast array of industries have found themselves essential parts of the machine that keeps the world in motion, required to do their jobs despite great risk—whether sales person in department stores or pharmacies, food delivery men, domestic care-givers or journalists and reporters, mental health counselors, doctors, nurses, police officers, community health worker, NGO workers, bankers or lawyers. Frontline fighters are facing serious situation as the number of infected people among these professions is somewhat increasing. During these uncharted and uncertain times, their hard work shines as a beacon of hope.

Background:

Frontline health workers such as doctors, nurses, community health worker, care givers, are integral to the global and national response to COVID-19. In hospitals, clinics and homes, health workers are taking on significant personal risk and too often working without adequate equipment to ensure all of us can receive the care we need. The current crisis is demonstrating the essential, tireless, innovative and too-often undervalued role of health workers in ensuring strong, resilient health systems for everyone, everywhere. Doctors and Nurses manning the frontline in the war against corona virus are giving their all to take care of COVID-19 patients, despite the physical, mental, and emotional toll. Meanwhile, infection among the front line health workers in the war against the disease has topped the 5,000 mark in Bangladesh, according to the apex body of the country's physicians. According to WHO, Women are 70% of the health workforce and are leading on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Law enforcement officers are on the field 24/7 to ensure the government directives like wearing masks, social distancing, monitoring lockdown affected areas as well as to help distribute the basic necessary items to the people in need besides their regular work. Many of them have also tested positive for coronavirus. Many of law enforcement workers expressed their feelings of working unconditionally in this pandemic. According to the Bangladesh Police Headquarters, nearly 1000 members of the police were infected with the coronavirus till May while five infected police members have died so far.

Bankers are serving general people at their best in this COVID-19 pandemic. In banks, people gather in large number in the first week of the month for collecting salaries and different type of allowances. Also for applying for loans, paying credit cards bills and utility bills, emergency money transfer etc. people are going to bank. Bankers are serving relentlessly and becoming more vulnerable as the coronavirus infected cases are increasing every day. There is significant number of women workforce who are in banking job and handling a large amount of mass people every day.

The social service workers/ volunteers are working persistently for serving people in need. From medical aid, food and goods assistance and psychological support to transport and community services, thousands of volunteers are responding quickly. The volunteers are becoming more vulnerable as the coronavirus infected cases are increasing every day.

Journalists, reporters and cameramen of news channels are also working day and night to cover the news even in this pandemic taking risk of their lives. According to media houses and journalists organizations, many journalists and media workers were tested positive for COVID-19. The infected journalists are from media outlets, including newspapers, television channels, radio stations and internet news portals. Sales people of department stores, pharmacies and lawyers are also playing vital role and helping people in terms of providing their emergency services.

Although, Government has already declared various stimulus packages for front line fighters of Bangladesh, what more can be done to ensure enough safety for those working for emergency services in the prevailing COVID-19 situation. How to best support, manage, and protect these individuals remains an open question. People of these emergency professions are also in vulnerable situation dealing with mass population while providing their services. Mentionable that, a significant percentage of front line responders are women who are also engaged in giving care at home and involve in household chores at the end of their everyday which even make the family members vulnerable and the risk of the COVID-19 infection increases.

Dialogue Objective:

The discussion will be inviting the front line women responders from different profession in COVID days, experts, civil society representatives, analyst, policy makers where audience will get to know about the stories of the front line fighters in COVID days, how they are dealing with different challenges, to what extent, they are being protected mentally and in terms of their physical health. What best can be done by the policy makers, Government, leaders to protect the vulnerable front line responders, especially women as a front line responders-as far as their health, safety, security and other assistance is concerned.

Panelists

Doctor of Metropolitan City dedicated for COVID-19 patients, ICU Consultant, Lab consultants, Doctor in Upazilla Health Complex, Community Health Worker/ Nurse, Banker, Social Service Provider, Law Enforcement Officers, Journalist/ Reporters, Lawyer, Retail Sales Person, representative

Of Doctors’ Forum Association will be participating in the event. Participants are expected to attend the entire meeting via online platform zoom.

Time

10 August 2020, Monday from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

Key Discussion Points

 What are the experience of the front line responders of Bangladesh during their duties in their respective fields in COVID-days?

 What are the challenges they face, when they are at their work in this crisis time?

 What more needs to be done by Govt., the policy makers and by the community leaders for the protection of front line fighters- in terms of ensuring safe working conditions, appropriate equipment, equal and emergency/hazard pay, safe housing and access to services that reflect their needs as individuals, such as mental health services and childcare.

 What especially for women front line fighters can be arranged?

 What are the roles and responsibilities of leaders, policy makers, civil society representatives, young people, responsible citizens, political parties to support the front line responders during COVID-19 pandemic?

Source: Press release

AH