Ross Kemp's COVID-19 Documentary Draws Flak
It was meant to be an inside look at what healthcare workers in the United Kindom go through as they deal with the coronavirus pandemic. But Ross Kemp’s documentary has instead angered the general public.
According to the Independent, the former “EastEnders” star’s ITV documentary “Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline,” has resulted in viewers calling the documentary invasive and accusing Kemp and his crew of “acting like vultures.”
One viewer questioned why it was okay for Kemp to visit the intensive care unit while family members could not visit their dying relatives. Another said the show was “pure titillation.”
In the documentary, Kemp goes into the intensive care unit fo the Milton Keynes University Hospital where he visits infected patients and interviews medical staff.
Digital Spy reports that Kemp has gone on “Good Morning Britain” to respond to the outrage. Kemp addressed criticism that the personal protective equipment he wore during the documentary cut into the hospital’s resources. He says the personal protective equipment he wore was his own and that he and the documentary crew did not take from the hospital’s supply.
He also says filming did not impede or interrupt the healthcare workers from doing their work as only he and the cameraman were in the intensive care unit. He also says that the two of them only stayed there for half an hour at the most.
The Milton Keynes University Hospital also tweeted in defense of Kemp, saying that they agreed to give him and small crew access because they believed it would be in the public’s interest to see how hospitals are preparing for COVID-19.
Hospitals in the United Kingdom and around the world definitely need to continue preparations against COVID-19 as there seems to be no stop to the rise of infections. According to the World Health Organization Apr. 16 situation report, the number of new confirmed cases is at 76,647, bringing the worldwide total to 1,991,562 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The number of people who have died fro COVID-19 is at 130,885.
In the United Kingdom, The Guardian says there are now 103,093 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Apr. 17. Of those confirmed cases, 79,489 are in England, 7,102 are in Scotland, 6,401 are in Wales, and 2,201 are in Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom also has 13,729 deaths.
There have also been a number of prominent personalities in the United Kindom that have either tested positive for the disease or have died from it. Iconic singer Marianne Faithfull tested positive for the disease, while British comedians Eddie Large and Tim Brooke-Taylor have died because of coronavirus complications.