The number of coronavirus cases is rapidly increasing across India. Over 700 people have been infected with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours alone. While the government is doing all that it can to prevent the spread of the virus, there are many frontline warriors who are also risking their lives to save others including healthcare workers, cops and essential services workers. There are many who are on a thankless mission to serve the nation, and, of these, there are five Indian women who deserve our attention and applause.
Also read: How India Is Failing Its Healthcare Workers
Indian Women On A Mission To Fight Coronavirus
Let us introduce you to five women who are breaking stereotypes and stepping up in the times of an unprecedented health crisis.
Suhani Mohan, IIT-Bombay Alumna
It is common knowledge by now that here is a shortage of protective gear all across the country, including face masks. Suhani Mohan, the co-founder of a sanitary napkins manufacturing company, Saral Designs, has started the production of protective masks with the help of an automotive team of Mahindra Group. She, along with Kartik Mehta (another co-founder), are doing their best to ensure the supply of masks. “It is difficult to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for masks. To tackle this situation, we have modified our sanitary napkin making machine to produce 3ply masks. The masks have a bacteria filter, which filters out and UV sterilized”, read a statement by Saral Designs.
S Vinothini, 25-Year-Old Nurse
A 25-year-old nurse named S Vinothini who is currently eight months pregnant has done what many wouldn’t. She travelled 250 km from Tiruchy to Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu to help treat COVID-19 patients. This inspiring woman received a call from the Joint Director (JD) of Health Services of Ramanathapuram and then decided to serve at the Primary Health Centre. She otherwise works at a private hospital in Tiruchy.
Captain Swati Raval, Air India Pilot
Captain Swati Raval, commander of the Air India Boeing 777, is being lauded for becoming the first civilian Indian woman pilot to operate a rescue flight. She flew to former coronavirus epicentre Rome to rescue 236 Indians who were stranded there and brought them back to Delhi amid the pandemic. Swati is proud to serve the citizens of the nation, as she always wanted to become a fighter pilot.
Deepa Malik, India’s Only Paralympic Medalist
India’s Paralympic medallist Deepa Malik (a Padma Shri and Arjuna Award recipient) and her daughter Devika Malik have provided a silver lining to many at the time of crisis. They have started an initiative called ‘Happy Janata Kitchen’ under which they will be providing cooked meals to all the daily wagers in Kanpur through their NGO Wheeling Happiness. They will soon be extending operations to Amethi and Noida. Deepa has also donated 5.70 lakhs to the PM Cares Fund.
Minal Dakhale Bhosale, Indian Virologist
Mylabs Discovery Solutions’ research and development chief, Minal Dakhale Bhosale, is the woman who made India’s first coronavirus testing kit. And what’s even more laudable is that she delivered the kit exactly a day before giving birth to a baby girl. Thanks to her efforts, a lot of patients were diagnosed at half the cost at private hospitals and labs, that too within less than two and a half hours of the kit being released.
Meanwhile, Indian-British beauty pageant winner, Bhasha Mukherjee, who won the title of Miss England in 2019 has also given up the world of all glamour and has started practising as a doctor in England. “When you are doing all this humanitarian work abroad, you’re still expected to put the crown on, get ready… look pretty. I wanted to come back home. I wanted to come and go straight to work. I felt a sense of this is what I’d got this degree for and what better time to be part of this particular sector than now,” said Miss England 2019. While Bhasha is a British citizen, she was born in India and continues to inspire fellow Indians and Britishers alike.
These women are true heroes and an inspiration to young girls in our country. And while they serve the nation, let us do our bit by donating to local NGOs working to feed the poor, spreading awareness amongst our loved ones and practicing social distancing.
Featured Image: Instagram
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