Women who battled all odds to serve humanity

On this International Womenrsquos Day midday brings to you inspiring stories about women from different walks of life who continued to help the people in trouble despite the risks of the COVID19 pandemicA 58yearold COVID warriorKiran Badhe a 58yearold Vasai resident who worked as a COVID19 warrior helped transgender people tribals auto drivers house helps society guards and migrants ldquoWe adopted 50 transgender people during the lockdown and gave them free ration masks hand sanitisers etc Later they helped me distribute free food packets masks and sanitisers to othersrdquo she said Bandhe and her team distributed lsquo5000 bags eachrsquo of sanitisers soap ration kits etc in the interiors of tribal hamlets in Palghar Dahanu Wada and Vajreshwari Badhe said they also spread awareness about COVID19 among the tribals She added that she followed all the COVID19 safety rulesDoctor battled work pressure PPE suitWhen the pandemic shut all private hospitals and clinics the load shifted on governmentrun medical facilities said Dr Rehana Nurul Hasan Mujawar medical health officer an Urban Primary Health Centre Panvel ldquoIt was really difficult to work wrapped in PPE as we would go out to trace international travellers and their high and low risk contactsrdquo She lives with her inlaws husband and two kids including a twoyearold She said her next challenge was keeping the polio immunisation campaign running as most parents were not cooperating with workers But with the help of Asha and anganwadi workers she could convince themFrom driving school bus to ambulanceNeelam Singh ambulance driverAt a time when many ambulance drivers were scared a 55yearold school bus driver was ferrying COVID19 patients to hospitals and quarantine centres Neelam Singh from Andheri even used her new bus as COVID19 ambulance Faced with a shortage of ambulance drivers the BMC chief had sought the School Bus Associationrsquos help Her bus was selected Singh said ldquoI have ferried over 2000 patients in the past four months Initially my family members protested but I continued fearlesslyrdquo She added ldquoThe patients who went home after recovering often call making me very happyrdquo Faizan Khan