UK troops deliver protective gear to hospitals

UK's military was drafted in to help National Health Service (NHS) this week, to assist Britain's medical staff prepare for fight against new coronavirus.

20,000 military personnel are on standby as part of Covid Support Force, delivering personal protection equipment (PPE) and ventilators to hospitals.

But many medical staff have claimed response comes too late, and that y are currently working without equate PPE, putting m at high risk of contracting new virus and passing it onto ir patients.

As hospitals brace for an expected rise of critically ill patients when pandemic reaches its peak across United Kingdom, y say y are risking ir lives because y haven't been equipped with equate protective gear.

Dr Nishant Joshi, an Accident & Emergency doctor at a hospital near London, said he is gravely concerned.

"I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be short of a surgical mask in this country. I never thought in my wildest dreams that we would be feeling unsafe as doctors," he said.

George Zumbze, a freelance GP who works at a urgent care centre, was so concerned about lack of equate PPE that was provided for him that he bought his own face visor and apron from a hardware store - only to be sent home for t wearing NHS prescribed equipment.

In an attempt to cope with expected surge in patients, government has converted large conference facilities into temporary field hospitals - first complete facility being NHS Nightingale Hospital in east London's ExCel Centre.

In dition, to cope with staff shorts, government has put a call out to recently retired doctors and nurses, with 20,000 medical professionals signing up so far.

For most people, new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older ults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could le to death.