Video Producer: Naman Shah
Video Editor: Shubham Khurana
The worst COVID-hit state, Maharashtra, is finally seeing a dip in the number of coronavirus-infected patients, after weeks of horror. But still, there are scores of people struggling with the inadequacy in the healthcare system.
The ruling party, Shiv Sena, is running a COVID War Room to help the people from the party level. The war room is being managed by Mangesh Chivte, a journalist-turned-health activist. The war room is in Thane, the constituency of Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde.
Along with patients in the Mumbai metropolitan region, the war room also responds to emergency calls from across the state.
“A single bed has 10-15 patients waiting for it. We also feel bad when we get bed for only one and not the rest,” said Ravindra Nanavre, bed coordinator of the war room.
Oxygen coordinator Pravin Mandavkar said, “More than 100 calls come from all over Maharashtra for oxygen throughout the day. The demand for oxygen beds or cylinders has increased a lot.”
The war room operates 24×7 with about 15 volunteers working in three shifts. Their helpline numbers keep ringing endlessly with requests for beds, oxygen, ventilators, blood plasma, remdesvir injections, ambulances and relief in medical bills. Due to lack of resources and arrangements, there is a lot of difficulty in providing help to everyone.
We have released the helpline numbers of the war room on social media. And we have compiled the contact numbers of all the hospitals, blood banks, distributors, oxygen plants and officials of all the districts and created a data bank. We try to help callers by connecting with the local resources of their respective localities.”Mangesh Chivte, War Room Chief
Chivte does not get tired of praising his teammates as the volunteers stepped out of their homes to offer services without expecting any remuneration.
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