COVID-19: Actor Shikha Malhotra Gets Back To Her Medical Roots, Volunteers As A Nurse In Mumbai Hospital

India has been put under lockdown for another 19 days to break the chain of transmission of the novel coronavirus. Since March 24, while everyone is being asked and advised to stay at home, it is the frontline healthcare workers and essential service providers who are working day in and day out, risking their lives to ensure lockdown is followed well and lives are saved. Amidst this, Bollywood actor Shikha Malhotra who has a degree in nursing from Delhi's Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, has started volunteering at a Mumbai hospital as a nurse to help patients fight the COVID-19 disease.

Sharing the news with her fans, on March 27 Shikha posted a three minute long video on her Instagram account. In the video, Shikha explained what prompted her to get back to nursing people and said,

At a time like this, when everyone is locked, people like me who are degree holders, retired nurses or health professionals, don't feel right being locked at home because it's our duty; we take an oath to serve the country, always.

Actor Shikha further informed that she had been trying to volunteer as a nurse in one of the hospitals in Mumbai since a week because and now her application has been accepted by Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackerey Trauma Care Municipal Hospital. She said,

I have to join isolation ward from tomorrow. I don't know what will be my working hours, when will I come back home, whether I have to stay there at night, but I am happy. I feel satisfied.

Shikha further appealed to people to not venture out of the house if it's not urgent and called upon people with medical degrees and retired medical professionals to step up, volunteer and help fight novel coronavirus.

View this post on Instagram

#coronafighternurse Hindu Hriday Samrat Bala Saheb thakrey #hospital #isolationward from tomorrow onwards 27/03/20 On the behalf of my Bsc(hons) #nursing degree So Please Feel free to connect with me anytime at the time of any emergency occurs near you. Please Follow the Home quarantine keep you and your loved once safe and follow all the preventive measures according to the #who ???????? Please don't take any chance Lot of people working day and night to keep the nation safe???? #fightbacktogether #homequarentined @narendramodi @amitabhbachchan @akshaykumar @anupampkher @dedipya_official @shobha_official @zeenews @aajtak @abpnewstv @ddnews_official

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

The actor has been documenting her journey as a nurse in an isolation ward on her social media account. Through her daily updates, Shikha throws light on the daily struggles of the medical staff – front-line soldiers battling COVID-19. In one of the videos, Shikha talked about medical professionals wearing multiple sets of masks and gloves, taking medicines, following precautionary and preventive measures. She said,

This is not as easy as it looks from the outside. We all are working here for you. Be serious. Be locked at home. Please follow home quarantine. It's time to join hands to protect our country, our nation.

View this post on Instagram

#lockdownday6 #coronafighternurse So here I am posting this Video on #lockdownday5 from #isolationward #covid19 Hindu Hriday Samrat Bala Saheb thakrey #hospital so that you can understand how serious it is????????Those who love your country love the nation post your #pics doing your favourite thing at home and Hashtag #meestayinghome and take the initiative to spread this around the country to save the nation????????????????do your bit m doing mine???????????????? @narendramodi @who @amitabhbachchan @akshaykumar @anupampkher @dedipya_official @shobha_official

A post shared by Shikha Malhotra (@shikhamalhotra_official) on Mar 29, 2020 at 10:10am PDT

In another video which Shikha made at the start of her night duty, the actor highlighted how people are out on the roads, without a mask, and not paying any heed to social distancing. The actor pleaded to everyone to wear a mask, stay at home and maintain social distancing.

In the same video, the actor showed how a medical professional gets ready before entering an isolation ward. The actor was seen wearing multiple layers of clothes, masks, gloves, headgear and other protective equipment.

View this post on Instagram

please follow #homequarantine Are you all ready? to trend the Hashtag #meestayinghome ???????? Sooo Those who love your country love the nation post your #pics doing your favourite thing at home and Hashtag #meestayinghome and take the initiative to spread this around the country to save the nation????????????????do your bit m doing mine???????????????????? @narendramodi @amitabhbachchan @akshaykumar @anupampkher @dedipya_official @shobha_official

A post shared by Shikha Malhotra (@shikhamalhotra_official) on Mar 31, 2020 at 12:33pm PDT

In another such post, Shikha highlighted how COVID-19 disease doesn't care about age, gender, caste, creed, class, colour and other things. She mentioned that the disease can catch hold of her as well, anytime and though the pandemic is breaking her physically and psychologically, it cannot stop her from performing her duty. She added,

These patients are all alone... and their eyes full of hope see me as one of the few people around them. I Just want to talk to them & let them share all there heart to me and want to make them comfortable as much as I can without caring about risking my life so they feel homely.

View this post on Instagram

#lockdownday12 #coronafighternurse #covid19 is #lifethreatning anyday i can also be the one helpless on the bed facing this like them...M breaking #physically and #psychologically but this can not stop me????????Please we need all of your #support ????????“These patients are all alone... and their eyes full of hope see me as one of the few people around them.I Just want to talk to them & let them share all there heart to me and want to make them comfortable as much as I can without caring about risking my life so they feel homely,” as there is no age limit no cast no creed colour no size no class no status nothing. It's affecting anyone????#helpus #stayhome #staysafe #stayhealthy #homequarantine #jaihind ???????? @narendramodi @amitabhbachchan @iamsrk @beingsalmankhan @akshaykumar @anupampkher @dedipya_official @shobha_official

A post shared by Shikha Malhotra (@shikhamalhotra_official) on Apr 5, 2020 at 2:27am PDT