Large size radios installed at Panahgahs to promote personal hygiene

Islamabad: The management of shelter homes has installed large size radios at its Islamabad-based facilities to promote personal hygiene among its dwellers through provision of prevalent precautions content against the coronavirus pandemic.

The government in collaboration with the private sector has already placed at least two big size radios at each Panahgah of the Federal capital to bring behavioural change among its residents through dissemination key public health messages, Prime Minister’s Focal Person Naseem ur Rehman told the media at the Sector G-9 shelter home where he was urging the residents to listen the programmes at radios regarding coronavirus for at least twice a day.

A gift of radio for the inmates of the shelter home mark a big step in promoting health lives and halting the spread of deadly virus, he remarked. The focal person said radio was one of the time tested medium in reaching out the public who had minimum access to the conventional mode of communication like television, mainstream and social media.

Since most of the visitors of the shelter homes lack basic information on health, thus it is imperative to acquaint them with principles of personal-hygiene so that the spread of virus can be stopped at the facilities.

To a query, he said the shelter homes administration was working closely with private sector to develop easy to understand and practice messages in multiple languages to enable them to move towards health life.

He said the shelter homes had emerged as ultimate destination for the people who got affected due to the lockdown enforced in wake of the coronavirus. In the prevailing situation, our prime focus is to create an enabling environment for the poor people by ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential items at the shelter homes.

Naseem said a drive title ‘Help Keep Panahgahs Clean’ had been launched to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus at the facilities which served food to some 2,500 poor and gave overnight stay to 500 daily across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Out-reach teams had been formed under the drive which held face to face interaction with the shelter homes beneficiaries who were more vulnerable to contract the virus due to their minimal exposure to print and electronic media.

“The teams of volunteers, have been giving practical demonstration to the visitors at Panahgahs about mask wearing, personal hygiene and use of soap and sanitizers.”