PESHAWAR: The Pashto song released by directorate of culture on social media to pay tribute to doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health workers for their fight against Covid-19 received widespread appreciation.

Medics and health workers have appreciated the move and billed it an effort to raise awareness among people about taking precautionary measures and also convey a positive message to them to respect health workers to better serve the patients and beat down Covid-19 with unity, courage and mutual respect.

The video was shared with all hospitals and health units in the province and uploaded on social media where it received an overwhelming response from audience.

It was a musical tribute but also a message that people should cooperate with health workers and observe their directives by keeping social distancing, said an official.

Young folk singers including Wisal Khial, Sitara Younas, Dilraaj and Zaman Zaheer have sung the Pashto song titled ‘Daktrano Ta Salaam’ (a salute to doctors) penned down by senior poet Laiqzada Laiq in the music arrangement of Farrukh Zeb Nowsheravi.

The song proved a hit to trolls taking rounds on social media regarding the coronavirus threat. It has received likes exceeding over a million from audience including health workers and Pakhtuns across the globe.

The video featuring doctors, nurses and other health workers busy in serving patients in the hospitals presented a tribute praising their courage, which defeated the mental stress of many.

Dr Mohammad Nabi Orakzai, a young doctor at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, said that such gesture of appreciation helped to boost the courage of medics and instill in them the spirit to serve the humanity.

He said that fight against the current pandemic was possible not only with medicines but also with the strong weapon of courage.

Dr Adnan Khan at Khyber Teaching Hospital, said that a song in Urdu would cast an equal good impact on those, who may not understand the Pashto text of the song. “Our artists and poets can do and should do it,” he added.

Dr Tahmeena Riaz, working at Hayatbad Medical Complex, said that medics didn’t have much time owing to swarm of patients but still most health workers took out time to welcome some kind and encouraging words from artists and poets and culture directorate deserved kudos itself.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2020