The one silver lining in these times of helplessness has been individuals who have become Samaritans going all out to save and help in healing people. One such man wearing an invisible cloak is a veteran producer and real estate magnate Anand Pandit. He believes in using all his resources to actively help anyone in need.
During the pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020, he not only took care of the daily wagers working on his building and film projects but also provided medical kits and funded medical check-ups for those who could not afford it.
He also gave around 250 apartments to the BMC (The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) to accommodate over 1000 patients. During the second wave too, he has been acutely aware of the employment struggles and financial travails of those who depend on the film industry and the real estate sector for sustenance. In order to help these workers with at least basic health care during the pandemic, he is hoping to start a vaccination center in collaboration with a leading hospital.
He says, “We are well past the ideation stage and yes, hopefully, soon we will have a designated venue in Mumbai where daily wage workers from the film industry and construction and real estate sector will be able to access critical vaccination support. I am also sponsoring a vaccination drive to help all workers associated with IFTDA (Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association).”
Pandit and his team are also trying to get clearances to import the vaccines directly so that more and more people can be vaccinated at the center with minimum stress. He was also in news recently for collaborating with Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn to open COVID relief centers, complete with beds and oxygen support in the Dadar and Juhu areas of Mumbai.
Says Pandit, “We should not just be talking about the crisis we are facing but doing all we can to help. I plan to start private medical camps as well because the health infrastructure is so overstretched. Everything we do will impact how soon we can emerge from this challenging phase.”
