Health officials in Herat province confirmed on Wednesday that 16 doctors and nurses in the province have been infected with COVID-19.

Officials said these doctors and nurses were infected when treating patients with COVID-19 disease.

Mohammad Aref Jalali, head of the Herat Hospital, says some of these doctors and nurses are in home isolation and some are being treated in the hospital.

A number of doctors in Herat believe that the lack of a safe environment-- and safety equipment--at the special COVID-19 hospital is the the main reason for the infection of their colleagues.

“Six of our colleagues who worked in the pediatric ward were affected by COVID-19 disease, who are in the isolation ward. Our equipment is completely lacking and all we get are gloves and masks,” said Fareba Amiri, a doctor in Herat.

A number of Herat MPs and provincial council members said that doctors and nurses infections' from the COVID-19 will be disastrous.

“It will be a huge disaster if our doctors get infected with the virus. Now it is important to make it a priority to protect doctors,” said Sayed Azim Kabarzane, Herat MP.

According to the Herat health officials, more than 100 staff at the hospital, including doctors, nurses and other staff, are suspected of being infected by the coronavirus. And according to officials, their tests are pending in the hospital's lab, and it will be clear in the coming days how many of these health workers are in fact suffering from the disease.