VIJAYAWADA: The district collectors will identify a hospital in every district to refer journalists and their relatives affected by coronavirus to provide effective treatment, Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Commissioner Thumma Vijay Kumar Reddy said.
Addressing mediapersons along with Commissioner of Health Katamaneni Bhaskar here on Thursday, he said that a State-level nodal officer from the I&PR Department, along with district-level officials of the department and representatives of health department will admit the affected journalists and their relatives to the hospital and monitor their health from the time of admission to discharge.
He said I&PR Joint Director P Kiran Kumar has been appointed as the State nodal officer for the purpose. "We will provide contact numbers of all nodal officers and ensure that the best medical service is provided to journalists and their relatives," he said.
Vijay Kumar Reddy urged the journalists to take a proactive approach in mitigating the problems faced by people by busting the myths surrounding the killer virus. Stating that COVID-19 cannot survive on the bodies of the deceased for more than four to six, he asked the journalists to publicise the myths and rumours about the virus. He elaborated the ashes of the bodies of coronavirus victims after cremation neither contain the virus nor groundwater will be polluted after burial.
He said the death rate due to the virus is just 1 per cent in the State. Even at national level, the mortality rate is only 2.5 per cent. The government has conducted 18.5 lakh tests till now, which is the highest among the States.
Bhaskar asked journalists to wear masks and use sanitisers, while going to various places for news coverage and after returning home from duty. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) would be arranged for journalists covering COVID-19 care Centres, he said and appealed to them to perform their duties without fear.
Stating that most of the corona deaths occurred due to comorbidities, Bhaskar asked those suffering from chronic illnesses to be vigilant. It is rare for people who recovered from the virus to contract COVID-19 again, he said.