The Heroes We Need: Actress Shikha Malhotra Turns Nurse, Joins Fight Against Covid-19
Bollywood’s contribution to coronavirus has been restricted to mostly home videos, urging fans to wash their hands or keep their health in check by exercising routinely. Yes, Akshay Kumar has made a generous donation of Rs 25 crore to the PM’s Care Fund and others are likely to follow suit. Yet one actress stands out from the rest – she has decided to fight against Covid-19 from the frontline.
Shikha Malhotra has gone above and beyond, donning the white coat she had left to pursue her acting career. Malhotra, who was seen in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Fan, joined the BMC-run Hinduhrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Centre in Mumbai’s Jogeshwari on Friday as a volunteer nurse. She has a degree in nursing from Delhi’s Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital.
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“I decided to help Covid-19 patients as I have the tool to help them,” said the actor who completed her nursing course in 2014. The four-year BSc Honours involved studies and training at a civic hospital. In an Instagram video, she has urged people with medical degrees, practitioners and non-practitioners, and retired doctors and nurses to join forces against the pandemic. “After passing the course in college, we had taken the oath to serve society,” she states, “I think this is the time to do so.”
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In an effort to render her services to the nation and honour the purpose of her degree, Malhotra sent in her application to several private and government hospitals. She finally received a call on March 26. The BMC gave Shikha its approval letter and has deputed her in an isolation ward starting Sunday. “I have no idea how many hours or even nights I might have to spend at the hospital but I’m very happy to take this initiative up,” said the actress, who also starred in Kaanchli, a period drama film.
Overnight, Malhotra has won tons of fans, these Instagram and Twitter posts are proof.
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Celebrating a Celebrity! While most Indian celebrities have limited themselves to donations, thali-bajao & motivational videos #COVID2019india has a celebrity who has decided to join the frontline #healthworkers Congrats Shikha Malhotrahttps://t.co/BvJ18EbbA8
— biswadeep gupta (@biswadeepgupta) March 28, 2020
Shikha also requested her viewers to take the Centre-ordered home quarantine measures seriously, and to avoid stepping out of their houses unless necessary. In another video, where she is seen dressed in medical gear, she gives a quick insight to the hard work the hospital staff puts in so that one can “understand how serious it is”.
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As the number of cases in India rise rapidly, we will need more heroes like Shikha Malhotra to save the day.
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