EEMA’s Silent Covid Warriors: Deepak Pawar

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | May 26, 2021 | News

EEMA Deepak Pawar EEMA Covid Task Force Second Wave Task Force Midas Next Media

Every person who has worked as part of Covid19 relief efforts in the second wave, including those from the event industry, has underlined this. When a hospital bed and oxygen meant the difference between life and death, quick and updated information on their availability was the lifesaver.   

EEMA’s Second Wave Task Force has done a lot more than provide such information through an expanded base of volunteers. But this working mechanism to help the patients and families in need by providing them verified real time contacts of suppliers, has proved invaluable to many.

While the EEMA Covid Task Force in 2020 helped prepare SOPs for conducting safe events was critical for the industry, the Second Wave Task Force’s job proved critical in saving lives.

Deepak Pawar, National Secretary, EEMA and MD, Midas Next Media, was very much in the thick of things. But he refuses to accept the series title of ‘Silent Covid Warrior’, attributing it to the unseen warriors who worked alongside EEMA office bearers and members.

Speaking about helping the distressed and being a part of EEMA Task Force, Pawar said, “To begin with, I think I am no warrior. Nor have I been silent. I think there are warriors at EEMA who need recognition. We have been elected and are responsible for doing what we had to do. We needed to support these people who came all out. We had the resources at EEMA, so we put them all together including the support that came from Whatsapp groups, e-mails, our members’ strength, zonal strengths along with VPs at respective zones. So, all these things put together, were the teams that were formed during this period. So, they, along with the people who worked below these teams, are the silent Covid warriors.”

Pawar takes the opportunity to enlist members of this team who deserve credit: Shreya Mistry, who oversaw the entire process; Sachin Talwar, who created an application to help the process in an organised format; Vinod Janardhan, who helped with design and support; besides VPs Prerana Saxena, Aarti Mattoo and their teams, among others.

“One incident that I'll never forget is where people just went all out, trying to save a lady who was pregnant with a two-month old baby in her stomach. The baby died first. And then after two days, everybody tried saving the lady by getting her to the hospital. But then we lost her. In a day, of the 25 or 30 lives that came to us, we could help save 10. The work here was done by the real team. These were the real warriors who could verify the information from outside and get filtered information inside and help speak to the patient's attendant and get them the hospital beds and oxygen,” said Pawar

Recently, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain visited the Rakab Ganj Gurudwara facility which is managed by EEMA along with the Delhi Government. After the Sant Nirankari Covid Facility, Burari, this is the second facility which EEMA is helping the Delhi Government manage.

Many event fraternity peers have rolled up their sleeves around the second wave. Pawar said, “Vipul Pandhi did a great job on getting the oxygen support helpline activated. Then Mandeep Malhotra, Ruchin Kohli and Shreya Mistry, I salute these people for the amount of work they have put in. Also, Shaju Ignatius who went all out in creating the plasma campaign, but had to withdraw because of the government regulations and other issues. The doctors from our panels who are helping us day and night. I think everybody here who is helping us, is the Covid warrior. I would salute them all.”

So what happens now? Moving forward, there are some zones which are still very active, noted Pawar. And some sponsors have come on board, which will activate further relief measures, he added.

There’s still work to be done.