Doctors and nurses at 70 hospitals across Myanmar have stopped work in protest of the military coup

• Medical professionals from 70 hospitals across Myanmar pledged to stop work in protest of a military coup.
• The Myanmar military staged a coup against the country's National League of Democracy on Monday.
• Activists there are encouraging acts of civil disobedience.

Medical professionals across Myanmar are taking part in a countrywide act of civil disobedience and have pledged to stop working in protest of Monday's military coup.

In a statement addressed to the international medical community, the group said Myanmar was already facing limited resources and infrastructure issues in fighting COVID-19 prior to the coup.

"Now Myanmar military has ruthlessly staged a coup d'etat and installed themselves as a military government, putting their own interests above our vulnerable population, who have been facing medical, economic and social hardships during the global pandemic," it read.

The letter went on to say that they refused to recognize the military regime and would "only listen and follow the instructions from our democratically elected government."

Read more: Scenes from a coup: Images from Myanmar show how the military took control in a matter of hours

The action, which reportedly includes medical staff from 70 hospitals in 30 towns, could have a calamitous effect on the country's coronavirus pandemic response.

Myanmar has seen 140,000 cases of the virus and more than 3,100 deaths in a country of 54 million. Prior to Monday's coup, doctors had begun vaccinating essential workers and members of parliament.

The work stoppage is part of a countrywide civil disobedience campaign that saw citizens banging on pots and pans across Myanmar's largest city of Yangon on Tuesday night.

"It is a Myanmar tradition to drive away evil or bad karma by beating tin or metal buckets," Yangon resident San Tint told Channel News Asia.

Read more: Myanmar's military says it's taking over as world leaders look on in shock

Activists also launched a civil disobedience Facebook group that has more than 150,000 members, according to the Bangkok Post.

Myanmar citizens appear to be using the offline messaging app Bridgefy to organize. It was downloaded more than 600,000 in the hours following the coup.