Mumbai: Jobless youth turn to Covid-19 centres for work

Several people in their 20s have been taking the biggest risk of their lives after the pandemic snatched their jobs They have joined Covid19 centres across the city to make ends meet The money not just helps their families it also ensures that the youngsters remain committed to their personal causes One of the youngsters midday spoke to is desperately trying to keep his dance group afloat while another is making sure his 70plus stray dogs donrsquot go hungry midday spoke to a number of them and the common refrain was ldquoMajboori hairdquoA youngster takes the blood pressure of a Covid19 patientAt Covid19 centres these youths help doctors and give the prescribed treatments to patients midday found that about 90 per cent of the staff at these centres are students and jobless people between 20 and 30 yearsAlso Read Mumbai 27yearold jobless youth turns to crime steals bikesThe civic body has opened jumbo Covid19 facilities at BKC Dahisar Nesco Goregaon and Mulund where several helping hands are required other than trained medical workers Officials said the youngsters have been taught to measure blood pressure and oxygen levels and they give food to patients While barely anyone from this new force had earlier worked in the medical industry their standard response was ldquoJob nahi mila isiliye majboori mein karna pada there are no jobs we are doing this out of desperationrdquoWith Cyclone Tauktae forcing the BMC to halt work at a few Covid19 centres these youngsters have been given a break They said they are eagerly waiting to get back to workPratik Pradip Shinde 25 resident of Charkop Works at Dahisar Covid19 centrePratik said he formed a dance group named lsquoArea67rsquo inspired by the pin code of his locality five years ago He has a team of 7 but was finding it increasingly difficult to sustain the group without a job for a yearFirst row l to R Anil Gupta Pratik Shinde Jayesh Sonasaria and Kalpesh Kambli work at the Dahisar centreThe BMC graduate then joined the Dahisar Jumbo centre as a doctorrsquos assistant ldquoI had never worked in a hospital setting On Day 1 a shiver went down my spine on seeing so many Covid19 patients But I took a risk and restarted the dance group activity I work on a 10hour shift and earn R16500 a monthrdquo he saidThe 25yearold said apart from measuring the vitals of patients they also have to record the data and send it to doctors ldquoWe are also required to give information to family members about patientsrsquo health conditions We spend the entire time inside the Covid19 centrerdquoKalpesh Kamlakar Kambli 27 Mira Road Works at Dahisar centreBefore the virus forced him to shut his Surekha Screen Printing unit at Kashimira Kalpesh Kambli was an employer for 4 people ldquoWe used to print images cartoons and many more things on Tshirts for children My unit operated from a rented place and I had to take care of my workersrsquo salary Somehow I paid all the dues and the workers went to their hometownsrdquoKambli said he kept trying for a job for months without success ldquoOne day I received a WhatsApp message about jobs at Covid19 centres I didnrsquot even think twice I was hired as a doctorrsquos assistant Itrsquos too risky but cantrsquo help itrdquoRupesh Prakash Pawar 31 Virar Works at Dahisar centreRupesh used to look after accounting of housing societiesRupesh Pawar used to look after accounting for housing societies but lost the job after the pandemic struck ldquoAfter sitting at home for over a year my friends suggested that I take up a job at a Covid19 centre I was scared initially but no longer now The work is gruelling We have to manage without food and water for about 89 hours We are also not allowed to go outside the facility After reaching home I take a hot water bath and I always drink warm water as a precautionrdquo said Pawar who joined the centre two months agoAnil Umashankar Gupta 21 Borivli Works at Dahisar Jumbo centreThe BCom secondyear student has been working at the Covid19 centre for the past two months ldquoEarlier I used to work as a cashier at a hotel I got this job after a year Now I have also started working for a cable company that provides internet I give net connections during the day and come to the Covid19 centre at night After my first day I dreamt of Covid19 patients approaching me for help It was a bit scary We come across many critical patients This is my first job in a hospital and Irsquom doing this just to earn moneyrdquoJayesh Devendra Sonasaria 25 Virar Works at Goregaon Nesco centreJayesh a BCom student was into event management and he would spend the entire money on feeding street dogs in Virar West where he lives ldquoAfter the lockdown last year I became jobless All my savings got over in helping the poor and my dogs When my bank balance became NIL two months ago I decided to join the Covid19 centrerdquo he saidThe animal lover added ldquoI have the responsibilities of 70 dogs and I canrsquot keep them hungry I took up this job to give them food Also nobody gives any donation nowadays I donrsquot need money for myself but for my dogsrdquoSatyawan Sawant 30 Nalasopara Works at Dahisar centreThe HSC passout worked as an office assistant at a private firm in Andheri until the Coronavirus snapped his source of earningSatyawan Sawant worked as an office assistant at an Andheri firm before the virus snapped his source of incomeSatayawan said ldquoI had no income for a year I sent my parents to my village for financial reasons I had no choice when a friend referred me to work at the Covid19 centre I am happy that I have started earning again Itrsquos too risky but life must go onrdquoSevenNo of members in Area67 the dance group that Pratik Shinde is trying to keep afloat