Many residents across the country have stepped up as COVID Samaritans in recent months, reaching out to individuals fighting the COVID-19 infection. Several performers have also become COVID warriors, assisting people in a variety of ways. Bhumi Pednekar and her team of volunteers have been working hard to help and support individuals throughout this difficult period. “For the volunteers and me, the last few weeks have been nothing short of heartbreaking,” Bhumi adds. When I first started, I had no idea that things might turn out to be so disastrous. It’s quite tough to talk to depressed families and try to calm them down while they’re pleading for help. Most people, in my experience, seek hospitalization either as soon as they test positive or when their illness has deteriorated significantly. It’s that time in the middle when they have to make a choice and act. We’ve also had a lot of SOS requests for ICU beds. In the North Belt, there is a scarcity of oxygen. As volunteers, we’ve all had to figure out how to connect the links and help the patient in need. Between transporting a patient from his or her house to the hospital, there are a slew of tiny details to attend to. “The last month has been one of the most life-changing periods of my life,” says Bhumi, who has recently dealt with COVID instances in her extended family and close friend circles in Delhi and Mumbai, as well as helping strangers from various parts of the country.
While volunteer groups on social media and WhatsApp have been useful in getting resources to those in need, it has also tragically resulted in countless examples of patients and even volunteers being duped by people claiming to have access to medical supplies. “I am a member of various volunteer groups,” Bhumi answers when asked about this. On a personal level, we’ve all experienced COVID-related catastrophes when assisting a friend, a close family member, or even a member of our extended family. People are vulnerable at this time, and their minds are often clouded. It’s difficult to know whether or not you’re making the right decision. It’s natural for people to go through such things. People are delaying the delivery of oxygen cylinders and concentrators, resulting in a large gap between supply and demand; I know this because I have my ears to the ground. It is difficult to obtain for those who require it. You must report the criminals who are robbing you to the Police and post their phone numbers on social media so that others do not fall victim to them. Another reason I’m raising an alarm is because all of these citizen-led assistance and support groups operating around the country are citizen-led, and I don’t want volunteers to be used and fleeced when they’re only trying to help. It’s a terrifying scenario.
The actress intends to expand her campaign, taking it to rural areas and smaller cities where social media is less prevalent. “We’re taking one day at a time,” Bhumi explains. We haven’t got the opportunity to take a step back and plan ahead. Before we knew it, the situation had exploded. In the last several weeks, I’ve received a lot of help from students in Delhi and Maharashtra. We are now mobilizing more citizen and student organizations in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan, as well as attempting to reach out to rural areas that require attention. So far, social media has been our most powerful friend, our war-room, so as to say. The great thing is that this nationwide movement of individuals is not dependent on a single person to lead it. It’s run with good intentions and people’s combined strengths, and it’s not going away anytime soon.”
Hey, my name is Meenakshi Sharma. I am a news writer at Review Minute. I have a keen interest in writing about the latest happenings in the Bollywood world.