Bengaluru: The Covid-19 survivors are the real warriors as they develop crucial antibodies required to fight the disease, and so they need our sympathy and support, a Karnataka official said in a statement on Thursday.
“Sympathy and support to Covid positive persons from all walks of life. They are the real warriors against coronavirus. We must support them morally. They not only develop antibodies and can be potential donors for plasma therapy,” said Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey.
He said Covid-19 survivors will also enable the masses to develop herd immunity.
Pandey was addressing these issues in the light of growing instances of stigma, prejudice and discrimination against coronavirus patients in the society.
Teaming up with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he organised an orientation programme for the state healthcare staff on Wednesday.
“In the light of a growing number of incidents of stigma and discrimination against Covid patients, their families, frontline health staff and healthcare providers, the department of health and family welfare on August 19 conducted an orientation programme to create awareness on stigma in collaboration with UNDP,” said a health official.
As part of this training, Pandey said the government has put in all efforts to do away with the practice of hand stamping, including using software tools to monitor the health of patients remotely.
“This orientation will strengthen the effort to build confidence in patients and all those involved in fighting the disease,” he said.
State level Covid programme officers, representatives from the departments of police, education, women and child development, rural development and panchayat raj attended the orientation programme, along with other senior officials.
Moving forward, the district level departments will orient all the health staff on stigma, discrimination and appropriate coronavirus behaviour.
Nodal officers for anti-stigma and discrimination have been identified and set in motion with the prejudice fighting mission.
On Wednesday, Karnataka registered the highest single day rise of 8,642 coronavirus cases, raising the state’s tally to 2.49 lakh.
