Highlights
- The young actress is volunteering as a nurse in Mumbai hospital
- Was fully paralyzed while in year eight at school
- Her mother is a qualified nurse who inspired her to train as a nurse
Bollywood actress, Shikha Malhotra, who has worked with Bollywood's A-list star - Shah Rukh Khan in the film, 'Fan', is a trained nurse.
Her last film Kaanchli - Life in a slough released in February.
Acting is a passion but when India went into lockdown, this trained nurse, instead of staying home and taking a vacation, decided to put her skills to use.
"As soon as [Indian] Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown, I felt it was my responsibility to serve people. Without a second thought, I decided to volunteer at a local hospital as I am a trained nurse,” Ms Malhotra told SBS Hindi.
She is currently volunteering as a nurse in the Isolation Ward at Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital in Mumbai.
Source: Supplied
The patients in the ward are all COVID-19 positive.
“You feel like a soldier on the front line, knowing full well you can be shot in the chest any moment, but you remain steadfast to fight for the country," she says.
She says she realizes anything could happen and she may never see her parents again.
Her voice breaks down as she tells us about a seven-month-old baby who is COVID-19 positive and is in the hospital with his mother and grandmother, who are both COVID-19 patients.
“When I see him smile, I feel there’s room for hope," a tearful Shikha adds.
Source: Supplied
"In the isolation ward, there are many patients who love to interact. I think of these elderly patients as my own parents.
“When I come in, in the morning and see their empty bed, I am heartbroken. The thought of these patients dying without any of their near and dear ones around them is devastating.
"There were many patients who I fed with my own hands and suddenly they are no more, how can I ever forget them?" Shikha concludes.
Source: Supplied
Health ordeal in childhood inspired her to work as a nurse
It was her own health ordeal that inspired Ms Malhotra to serve others.
She shares how she was always inclined towards literature, arts, dance, and music in her teenage years when she suddenly was struck down by a full-body paralytic attack.
"I was in class 8 when I became bed-ridden due to paralysis. My mother is a nurse and she took care of me and she gave me a second life," Ms Malhotra says.
"I was in and out of Intensive Care Units, was also in a Coma for a few days but my mother's dogged perseverance made me recover."
It took three years before Ms Malhotra completely recovered.
Having received a second chance at life, Shikha finished the rest of her education privately as by then she had put on too much weight and was much older than other kids in class.
Source: Supplied
She says she went back to pursuing Indian classical dance (Kathak) and classical music (singing).
"But my mother was keen I do Nursing. So taking inspiration from her, I completed a nursing officer’s course," she says.
Follow SBS Hindi’s special coverage of COVID-19 outbreak
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
