Celebrities helping during COVID-19: As the COVID-19 surveillance teams in states battle to save millions across the country who suffer from the virus, a chaotic shortage of hospital beds and oxygen supply is reported. Amid the health system collapse, Bollywood celebrities have stepped in to help those in need.
Social media has been a lifeline, for those who can afford it, during these difficult times when the search for basic medical resources poses a challenge in many states. From food to therapy, social media warriors are amassing leads for essentials that COVID-19 affected patients or their families may need at this hour. Read about the work being done here. Celebrities with large followings on the internet too are lending a hand.
Here are 12 Indian celebrities helping during COVID-19 relief operations:
1. Bhumi Pednekar
As people around the country are struggling to get medical support, actor Bhumi Pednekar, who recently recovered from the coronavirus, has become a COVID-19 warrior with a new initiative through her social media. She is trying to help others find “plasma requests” and “donors”.
On Instagram and Twitter, she has been creating a highlight to identify resources to enable facilitation and access to medical supplies. She has dedicated herself towards amplifying COVID-19 resources. The Saand Ki Aankh actor has been sharing videos and posts about things that are being required by the virus-infected patients and said, “This initiative is my small contribution to the huge battle that lies ahead of us.”
2. Sonu Sood
Actor Sonu Sood recently launched a telegram channel to help people find oxygen, medicines, hospital beds among other resources. He has been proactively transporting sick patients, providing medication and encouraging people to get vaccinated amid the second wave of COVID-19.
Last year, he had played a huge part in helping the migrants to reach home during the COVID-19 lockdown and provided them with the essentials during tough times. Read about that here.
3. Priyanka Chopra
Global star Priyanka Chopra has extended support to the cause of donating to India in this challenging time when the country’s healthcare system is highly pressured. Chopra and her husband, singer Nick Jonas, have appeared in a new video, urging everyone to donate towards COVID-19 relief for India.
She has set up a fundraiser to help the country in time of need during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The White Tiger actor called India her “home” and highlighted that her country is currently “bleeding”. She further added, “I am sitting in London and hearing from my friends and family in India about how hospitals are at capacity, there are no rooms in ICUs, ambulances are too busy, oxygen supply is less, crematoriums having mass cremations because the volume of death is so much.”
4. Sushmita Sen
Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen managed to arrange oxygen cylinders for a Delhi-based hospital. The actor was moved after watching the video of Sunil Saggar, chief executive of Shanti Mukand Hospital, Delhi, who in the video broke down due to the lack of oxygen cylinders at his hospital.
She had urged her followers to help her find alternatives to help the hospital in need and a few good samaritans went out of their way to get it delivered. In a subsequent tweet, she thanked her fans for creating awareness and helping her do a good deed and wrote that now she has more time to send the cylinders.
5. Alia Bhatt
Actor Alia Bhatt is also doing her bit to help people. Over the past few days, she has been sharing verified helpline numbers of states and cities on her Instagram account. The Gangubai Kathiawadi actor has recently recovered from the virus and partnered with journalist Faye D'Souza to amplify the information about COVID-19 resources.
Bhatt informed in her post that it is a time for great uncertainty while mentioning that infrastructure and information are what we need right now. She claimed even though there are limited options in terms of what her team can do for infrastructure, she is doing the best to identify and amplify relevant information that can help people.
6. Kangana Ranaut
Meanwhile, Kangana Ranaut, known for her divergent opinions, says she is helping people in her own way. She said she doesn't believe that Twitter is the only way to help people. "I am helping people with beds, medicines, vaccines, oxygen... I have too many in my own professional and personal circle who are calling me and asking for help," the Queen actor noted, adding that she is not doing this for the "gallery".
She further explained that she was passing the SOS calls on to her brother Aksht. She added that it was important to "verify" the needy from "frauds" and then help.
7. Twinkle Khanna
Author Twinkle Khanna and actor Akshay Kumar have donated a hundred oxygen concentrators to an organisation. “Wonderful news-Dr Drashnika Patel & Dr Govind Bankani of London Elite Health through Daivik Foundation are donating 120 oxygen concentrators and as @akshaykumar and I have managed to get our hands on 100 as well, we have a total of 220. Thank you for the leads. Let’s all do our bit,” the Mrs Funnybones author wrote on social media.
She added, “I implore all of you in your own way to do whatever you can so we can look back at this bleak moment and at least say it took the worst but it brought out the best in all of us.”
8. Salman Khan
Khan has recently distributed 5000 food packets to frontline workers including BMC staff. Reportedly, these kits included tea, mineral water, a pack of biscuits, and other snacks. In a viral video, Khan could be seen inspecting the food quality to ensure that the food is hygienic. He visited a Bandra-based restaurant, where the food was packed and sent out for delivery.
"Big thank you @AUThackeray ji @BeingSalmanKhan bhai for making this possible as team @yuvasenabandraw for reaching out our Frontline force... means a lot when bhai comes to keep a check on the supply and motivate the team to reach out to one and all..Jai Hind !!! Jai Maharashtra," Yuva Sena’s core committee member Rahul Kanal, who has been executing this activity, shared on Big thank you @AUThackeray ji @BeingSalmanKhan bhai for making this possible as team @yuvasenabandraw for reaching out our Frontline force... means a lot when bhai comes to keep a check on the supply and motivate the team to reach out to one and all..Jai Hind !!! Jai Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/MNkk6JcbGn
— Rahul.N.Kanal (@Iamrahulkanal) April 25, 2021
9. Tapsee Pannu
The Thappad actor is also using her platform to amplify information for help amid the current COVID-19 situation. She has been sharing tweets by people for oxygen cylinders, essential items, medications injections and other medical supplies during the second wave of the pandemic.
10. Siddharth
Actor Siddharth, known for his role in Rang De Basanti, is active on social media and has been frequently posting about donation camps, leads on numbers for medical supplies, mental health counsellors, and oxygen cylinders.
"Speak up. Ask questions. Demand care and reassurance from your government. This is going to take a long time to overcome. Wake up," he writes.
11. Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha too has been retweeting about resources and arranging help in supplying medical essentials such as oxygen or beds in hospitals. Last year, she had made easy-to-understand videos for her staff in order to educate them about issues related to COVID-19 and how maintaining basic hygiene can help people from falling prey to it.
12. Sonam Kapoor
Sonam Kapoor also started a guide for COVID-19 related resources and posted a video on Instagram in which she said, "I have decided to highlight resources in my Instagram and repost requests for help".
"We’re in this fight together. We will get through this," she wrote in a post urging people to mask up and take precautions.
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