The 6-foot-tall statue of a frontliner by Latvian sculptor Aigars Bikše. Image: Instagram/@aigarsbikse
A sculptor made a 6-meter-high (nearly 20 feet) statue of a medical professional in Latvia to honor the frontliners braving the COVID-19 pandemic.
The giant artwork was designed by Latvian artist and professor Aigars Bikše, as per the Public Broadcasting of Latvia last Tuesday, June 16.
Dubbed as “Medics to the World,” the statue shows a female healthcare worker standing with her outstretched hands facing the sky, as seen on Bikše’s Instagram page. She also wears a white coat, gloves, a face mask and a hair net with a stethoscope around her neck.
“The [three-month-long] lockdown period and fear for their lives has made the people change their perspective towards doctors, nurses and other medical staff,” Bikše was quoted as saying. “Many just now for the first time in their lives realized the vital importance of medical staff.”
The tribute to the frontliners was supported by donations from almost 20 local companies, the report said. President of the Latvian Nurses Association Dita Raiska later expressed her gratitude for the statue.
“The main heroes of the pandemic are the medical staff who risked their lives for us in order to preserve the health of the humanity,” Raiska first said while stressing the importance of following precautions against the virus.
“I am pleased that the Latvian people are aware of this responsibility and I am pleased to see that the people have appreciated our work,” Raiska added.
Latvia currently has 1,111 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 30 deaths, as per Johns Hopkins University. The country, with a population of just under 2 million people, credits its low death rate to the “Test, Track, Isolate” mantra which the nation follows. Ryan Arcadio/JB
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