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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A post shared by Shikha Malhotra (@shikhamalhotra_official) on Mar 24, 2020 at 5:18pm PDT

“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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A post shared by Shikha Malhotra (@shikhamalhotra_official) on Mar 26, 2020 at 11:49am PDT

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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Actress Shikha Malhotra Volunteers as Nurse in Fight against COVID19 We see the best and the worst of people only in difficult times. In a first of its kind, an Indian film actress has come forward to volunteer as a nurse in a Mumbai hospital and fight against the Novel Coronavirus pandemic. Shikha Malhotra, an actress and costume designer, who is well known for the film “Kaanchli Life in a Slough” and “The Unseen”, has started volunteering as a nurse in Mumbai to help the COVID-19 patients recover. Only a few know that she has a degree in nursing from Delhi’s Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital. She recently took to her Instagram handle and shared a few photographs of her working as a nurse with the caption, “So as you all have always appreciated my efforts, my achievements. This time I need all of your support to serve the nation once again and this time I’ve decided to join the hospital in Mumbai for Covid19 crisis. Always there to serve the country as a nurse and as an entertainer. Please be at home, be safe and support the government.” #ShikhaMalhotra #IndiafightsCOVID19 #MumbaiCoronavirus #corona #awareness #lockdown #curfew #thetruthtalksteamt4

A post shared by BRIJESH ARORA (@thetruthtalksteamtfour) on Mar 28, 2020 at 1:34pm PDT

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”.