Bhumi Pednekar, Kapil Sharma Come Together To Help COVID-19 Patients In Karnataka

New Delhi: Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar has partnered with actor-comedian Kapil Sharma to help COVID patients in Karnataka amid the ongoing health crisis. Recently, there have been many cases where the short supply of medical oxygen has led to the demise of several COVID-19 patients. Mr Sharma and Ms Pednekar have joined hands to provide oxygen supply for people in Karnataka, through Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Mission Zindagi initiative.

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The programme will send oxygen buses outside COVID hospitals in Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapur, Nelamangala-1, and Nelamangala-2 to extend support to those in need. Speaking about it, Ms Pednekar said,

Our country is currently witnessing the second wave of this deadly virus which has now penetrated rural India. With so many cases coming from smaller towns and villages where medical assistance and aid might be limited, the need of the hour is to provide oxygen to the patients. Through Mission Zindagi, we are focusing our attention towards rural India and are starting with some districts in Karnataka.

She further explained that the buses would be installed with oxygen concentrators that would provide tertiary care to patients outside district hospital emergencies while they wait for a bed. She said,

Our buses will help share the load of hospitals in smaller towns where the cases are now rising. I’m glad we collaborated with Kapil on this leg of the mission as he is well-loved by many. I want to do my bit to ensure that as many COVID-19 patients get the help that they critically need and I’m thankful to Gurudev for being a beacon of hope at this time of crisis.

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Mr Sharma said that people have to support each other right now. He added,

I’m also doing my bit. It is my honour to associate with the extraordinary work that Gurudev and BJS (Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana) are doing. With Bhumi, who is doing exemplary work towards COVID relief, this initiative with mobile oxygen buses, we have now started supporting people in Karnataka and planning to take this to more states as well.

The second wave of coronavirus has infected many people, and the number of COVID-19 positive cases has been rapidly rising. Many Bollywood celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma, Amitabh Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Varun Dhawan, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher and others have come forward to contribute to help aid people crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Amid the surge in cases, several stars like Katrina Kaif, Taapsee Pannu, Alia Bhatt, and Mira Rajput have also been using social media to amplify the voices of those in need.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Ms Pednekar, who was last seen in Amazon Prime’s horror thriller ‘Durgamati’, will be soon seen in her upcoming rom-com drama ‘Badhaai Do’ opposite Rajkummar Rao. The movie directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni is slated for a September release this year. Besides this, she also has Karan Johar’s multi-starrer ‘Takht’ in the pipeline. On the other hand, Mr Sharma will soon make his Netflix debut. However, details about that project have been kept under wraps.

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.