PRCS organises awareness session on COVID-19 for journalists 

KARACHI: The Pakistan Red Crescent (PRC) Sindh branch organised an awareness session on COVID-19 prevention and Emergency First Aid exclusively for Journalists at Training Institute, Hilal-e-Ahmer House, Karachi.

The training was attended by more than 25 journalists, including cameramen, health and crime reporters, where they were communicated on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives in emergencies.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the awareness session, Chairman PRCS-Sindh, Shahnaz S Hamid, said that the PRCS  is highly committed to providing basic health and First Aid facilities to maximum people of the country to deal with emergencies, hence for, a series of training/workshops are being organized at national and regional levels.

She emphasized that first aid training is very important for media practitioners, whether they are in the field or at home. She highlighted the importance of the subject and said that not only accidents, bomb blasts, and other emergencies are frequent, but nowadays, the spread of COVID-19 is also a cause for concern. Generally, journalists are the first to arrive at the scene after an accident.

Journalists usually cover accidents or crowded events where any untoward incident can be expected at any time, and now they will face another difficulty as they are likely to be affected by COVID-19.

These awareness sessions contribute imperatively in educating journalists about the basic techniques of first aid and the prevention of COVID-19, as a result of which they can save many lives while protecting their own lives, she added.

Chairman also urged the journalists to join hands with the Pakistan Red Crescent and voluntarily serve to alleviate the weaker segment of society's sufferings.



Provincial Secretary PRCS Sindh, Kanwar Waseem, appreciated all the journalists for attending this important session. He further said that the PRC teams have been working tirelessly to play a significant role in the ongoing national efforts to overcome the spread of the COVID-19 in the country through a robust synergized response.

He uttered that when the coronavirus epidemic was on the rise in Sindh, the Pakistan Red Crescent had fulfilled its promise to provide a free COVID-19 testing facility in Karachi, especially for those who could not afford the cost of the COVID-19 test. The PRCS also arranged a free COVID-19 test facility in various educational institutes in Karachi, provided PPE kits to many government hospitals across the country, distributed ration and cash grants to those who were directly or indirectly affected by COVID-19 and lockdown.

Muhammad Aftab Madani, Media and Communication Officer, PRCS Sindh, requested journalists to spare some time to attend the lucrative session on prevention of COVID-19 and also learn the basics of Emergency First Aid.

The closing ceremony concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participants.

-MN Report