The plan has been published by the Directorate General of Health Services, Health Services Division under the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, said a media release.

Presently, community radio stations are broadcasting awareness-raising programmes on prevention of coronavirus education for the rural people for  animating CSOs, government, health service providers and communities for reinforcing collective action, keeping community people’s daily life normal and livelihood functional and mobilize further cooperation among government, CSOs, local markets and communities’ response.

The formats of the COVID-19 programmes are- news, public service announcement (PSA), radio spots, radio talks, magazine, drama, jingles, interviews of local administrations and health officials and expert opinions etc.

And the contents are- what is coronavirus, how to contain, symptoms of the patients, advice for the patients, precautionary steps for preventing contamination, what is institutional quarantine, home quarantine, service providers, and service providing agencies and service delivery points, the role of community people and hotline service information of government.

Simultaneously, community radios are broadcasting PSA on government orders.

The contents are developing by following the guideline of Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Unicef and WHO COVID-19: Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan.

Some radios have distributed leaflets in the educational institutions and public places.  

Key observations are in the community radio broadcasting areas; the panic among the community people has been reducing gradually and people are taking precautionary measures to prevent contamination of coronavirus.

The audience are making phone calls and sending SMS during the live broadcasting to share their queries. Besides, the COVID – 19 focal are communicating with the local Corona Prevention Committees for reinforcing information and instructions.

The awareness campaign will continue until the situation returns to normalcy.

The community radios are Radio Padma 99.2 FM, Radio Nalta 99.2 FM, Loko Betar 99.2FM, Radio Pollikontho 99.2 FM, Radio Sagor Giri, 99.2 FM, Radio Mahananda 98.8 FM, Radio Mukti 99.2 FM, Radio Chilmari 99.2FM, Radio Jhenuk 99.2 FM, Krishi Radio 99.8 FM, Radio Naf 99.2 FM, Radio Bikrampur 99.2 FM, Radio Meghna 99.0 FM, Radio Sagor Dwip 99.2FM, Radio Sarabela 98.8 FM and Radio Boral 99.0FM.