Some of Bengal’s popular artistes who had stood up against the politics of polarisation in the run up to the Assembly elections have now joined the fight against the second wave of coronavirus infections.

A Covid-19 relief facility will be operational at a two-storey building near the Kamalgazi intersection of EM Bypass from Saturday, thanks to the efforts of the artistes and social workers.

“For now, the facility will serve as an interim centre for Covid patients. People who need hospitalisation but are awaiting beds can be taken to the centre. They will be given oxygen and preliminary medical support while they wait for hospital beds,” said Piya Chakraborty, a social activist who is at the forefront of the project, called Citizens’ Response.

The Covid-19 relief facility near Kamalgazi. Telegraph picture

The centre will be operational from Saturday. It has a capacity to keep 10 patients but will start with five beds.

Chakraborty, who runs an organisation called HEDS (Health and Eco-defence Society), has collaborated with another organisation called Bangla Sanskritik Mancha for the project.

Backing the initiative are Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Chakraborty’s husband and composer-singer Anupam Roy, Riddhi Sen, Rwitobroto Mukherjee and Surangana Bandyopadhyay, among others.

On March 24, these people, and many other veteran and young artistes, had released a music video with the aim of warning people against the politics of hate ahead of the Assembly elections. Titled Nijeder Mawte Nijeder Gaan, the video has generated over six million views.

“We will increase the number of beds as soon as possible,” said actor Riddhi Sen, one of the artistes behind the project.

“All of us are aware of the grim situation because of the second wave. So far, we were trying to contribute individually. But if like-minded people come together, the effort gets amplified. We have raised funds. Now we are about to start the relief centre. In the coming days, we want to start at least two more similar centres,” said Chattopadhyay.

Private hospitals in the city have increased their Covid beds but the long list of patients waiting to get admitted still continues.

The increase in the number of Covid beds is proving to be inadequate and many patients with oxygen saturation levels below 90 are struggling to find beds, officials across hospitals said.

Chakraborty said the money raised so far came mainly through crowdfunding. “The situation is very distressing. As citizens, the least we can do is stand beside fellow citizens at a time the Union government has failed its people in handling the Covid second wave,” said Chakraborty.

The interim relief facility, five minutes from the Patuli fire station, has 10 beds. Citizens’ Response has turned a neighbourhood club into the interim relief centre. A team of doctors will look after the patients once they start coming from Friday. There is enough oxygen to ensure 24X7 supply to 10 patients, said a volunteer.

“The centre at Patuli is a pilot project. Another centre in Mukundapur is in the pipeline,” said Tanmoy Ghosh of Bangla Sanskritik Mancha.

“Since the artistes came on board, the initiative got a lot of steam. We had a team of doctors on board. Students from Jadavpur University are also lending support in this initiative,” he said.

During the lockdown in 2020, Ghosh’s organisation had prepared a database of 1,50,000 migrant workers from Bengal stuck in different states. The organisation coordinated with multiple state governments to provide the workers with food and other essential supplies.

The daily operations at the Patuli centre will be managed by a group of volunteers, led by doctors.