In an emotional letter, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has thanked COVID Warriors for their overwhelming response to his call to join the war against the virus. “We have to win the war against the virus not by any weapon but by service,’’ Thackeray said.
Responding to his call, the state government received a record 21,752 applications from people from various sectors to work as COVID warriors, of which 12,103 are from the medical field and 9,649 from other professions. Nearly 3,716 have expressed their desire to work in the red zone. Nurses, pharmacists, doctors, social workers, laboratory technicians, ward boys and paramedics as well as those from education, defence and security have come forward to work as COVID warriors. Retired defence and para military personnel have also submitted their applications.
The government has received 3,766 applications to work as COVID warriors in Mumbai, which is a red zone, where the coronavirus cases have crossed the 27,000 mark with more than 900 deaths so far. Of the 3,766 applications, 1,785 are from the medical field and 1,981 are from various other sectors.
A release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said that most of the COVID warriors in Mumbai will be deployed in jumbo quarantine and isolation facilities being set up by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in Greater Mumbai. Nearly 1 lakh beds are being set up currently to treat COVID-19 patients considering the rise in their numbers.
BMC will soon issue appointment letters to these COVID warriors. They will be in addition to the doctors, nurses, paramedics, police and personnel from the civic bodies and state government working 24x7 to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
