29 May,2021 06:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu
Sanjana Sanghi
Sanjana Sanghi remembers being "helpless and angry" at the onset of the second wave of the pandemic. "People were in need of hospital beds and oxygen, which were nowhere to be found. No one was addressing the nation's collective grief," says the 'Dil Bechara' (2020) actor. At the time, she channelled her anger into launching Here To Hear, an initiative that put the focus on mental health. Now, as the cases have begun dipping, Sanghi is preparing for a possible third wave.
She has joined hands with Save The Children, an initiative working towards children's healthcare in remote areas. "There are cases in the villages, and there is under-reportage of deaths. Cities will get back on their feet, but tribal villages need our attention."
It is believed that children may be the worst-hit in the third wave. As the first step, Sanghi, in association with the NGO and local volunteers, is creating awareness about the pandemic in the tribal villages of Maharashtra. "They are treating the virus like the flu, and can't understand why it's killing people," she says.
Their top priority is to build the children's immunity. To that effect, they send nutrition packets, which last two weeks, to each village. "There is no approved vaccine for kids yet. With medicines and their robust immune system, we should be able to manage the demographic. We are sending nutritious food and vitamin supplements to them. Since these supplements don't yield results immediately, we are starting months in advance so that the kids are in a better position to fight the virus [should they contract it]."
ALSO READ
Sanjana Sanghi recalls working in 'Dhak Dhak'
'Our voice matters': Sanjana Sanghi makes powerful cry for change at UN Summit
On Teacher’s Day, Sanjana Sanghi conducts a class for underprivileged kids
Up and about: Date nights
4 Years of Dil Bechara: Sanjana Sanghi pens an emotional note remembering SSR
The actor is simultaneously making arrangements for inoculation of the adults in the region, thus pre-emptively reducing the chances of virus transmission. "Setting up jumbo vaccination centres is tough, but we're setting up centres in [each] village. The schools can double up as quarantine facilities when the need arises."
Also read: Sanjana Sanghi paired opposite Aditya in OM - The Battle Within
