The second wave of Covid-19 has badly hit India, leaving many struggling to access basic healthcare facilities — oxygen cylinders, medicines, and hospital beds. Over 2 lakh deaths have been reported so far. At this hour of need, along with common people, the Bollywood celebs are also finally consolidating, coming forward and putting their resources to fight the terrible disease.
While, Sonu Sood has emerged as the guardian angel for the poor and the needy amid this pandemic, working tirelessly to arrange hospital beds, plasma, oxygen cylinders, medicines through his Sood Charity Foundation and has recently also started a toll-free helpline number (1800-8913-441) that helps in providing free doctor consultation to Covid patients, slowly the entire film industry as well as other Indian celebrities are waking up to the catastrophic situation and pitching in.
Amitabh Bachchan, Rohit Shetty, Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli, Ayushmaan Khurana-Tahira Kashyap, Priyanka Chopra Jonas-Nick Jonas, Akshay Kumar-Twinkle Khanna, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Randeep Hooda, Bhumi Pednekar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Aditya Chopra and YRF, and the likes are contributing in a big way offering financial support as well as helping with man power and infrastructure and helping in Covid relief by amplifying and coordinating needs and resources.
Social media platforms have undoubtedly acted as the best space for SOS calls given the worsening Covid crisis. Actors like Bhumi Pednekar, Alia Bhatt, Sara Ali Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Kartik Aaryan, Tisca Chopra and Richa Chadha and the likes have turned to their respective social media accounts to amplify and connect resources to the needs.
Bhumi, who is working with over 150 volunteers a day, has created a highlight on her Instagram profile, wherein she is identifying resources “to enable facilitation and access to medical supplies, plasma requests and donors as the case may be”. Alia Bhatt has joined hands with renowned journalist Faye D’Souza. The two have been seen sharing relevant information like phone numbers of hospitals, ambulances, medications as well as doctors who are providing aid to the patients on their Instagram accounts.
Richa Chadha, who is also using her social media to amplify verified leads on Covid resources, said: “I think social media is filling in for lack of covid-19 war room. I have been able to connect people with needs to those who are supplying the thing that is needed. For instance, on an average I get two messages daily via my Instagram stories that it the patient it has found the ICU bed / oxygen. Personally, I think this is the least that I can do – put my reach to good use.”
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