As many as 822 journalists have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in March while on duty in Telangana. The state government has since released Rs 1.55 crore as financial aid to these journalists, say government officials.
Speaking to TNM, Laxman Kumar, Assistant Director of the Media Academy of Telangana with the Information and Public Relations Department (IPRD), said that the state government is extending help to all journalists who have contracted COVID-19 and are in need of financial assistance for treatment in Telangana.
“There is no distinction being made between the accredited and non accredited journalists,” said Laxman. “If any journalist requires financial assistance, they can reach out to us. They just need to procure a letter from their management stating that they are working there and produce payslips,” he added.
The fund of Rs 1.55 crore was released by the IPRD over the course of the past five months. “The financial assistance is being provided not just to reporters but also to videographers, photographers, people from the desk of newspapers and also their stringers,” said Laxman.
One of the first reported cases among journalists from Telangana was in May when a Delhi based journalist with a Telugu channel tested positive and was admitted to Apollo Hospital for treatment. Then the Telangana Union of Working Journalists (TUWJ) and the Media Academy had extended financial assistance of Rs 20,000 for the journalist’s hospitalisation. As many as 23 journalists had tested positive in a single day on June 15 in Telangana.
On June 7, 33-year-old Manoj Kumar, a crime reporter with the Telugu channel TV5 who had tested positive, passed away, Manoj was undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital. Shortly before his demise, the reporter had complained that the ICU facility at the hospital was not good and that no one was taking care of him at the hospital.
After his demise, Gandhi Hospital officials set up a special ward to exclusively treat working journalists. The state government also initiated testing for journalists covering the Secretariat beat after three Secretariat employees tested positive.