This 40-year-old barber is offering free services to frontline COVID-19 workers in Mumbai

Even after salons and barbershops have been given a green signal to operate while strictly adhering to the WHO guidelines, most of them continue to battle with low footfalls and staff crunches, as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in India. 

However, this did not stop 40-year-old Mumbai-based barber Santosh Anant Borhade. Santosh has been providing grooming services to frontline COVID-19 warriors for free, ever since the beginning of the lockdown in March. 

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Borhade, who owns a barbershop called ‘Soham,’ close to Sandhurst Road station, generally takes Rs 80 each for every haircut and styling session. But now, he is doing around 10 haircuts a day, half the number of services he used to offer. 

“When salons and beauty parlours were barred from functioning due to the pandemic, it had a direct effect on my income. Initially, I was a little tense, but looking at how policemen and doctors kept going during the pandemic, I too wanted to do something for the society,” Borhade told The Indian Express. 

Borhade has been receiving many calls from police officers, and well as medical professionals, especially from JJ Hospital. And, the 40-year-old has been willingly attending to all their needs. 

“Mumbai Police is a disciplined force. Police personnel has to ensure that they wear their hair and beard neatly in front of their superiors. Doctors, too, need to wear their hair short as there is a larger risk of carrying infection in longer tresses. So, I took it upon myself to help them,” says Borhade.

Armed with a pair of scissors, a shaving kit, and a comb, Borhande ensures that everyone who goes to him is well-groomed. However, he has been making it a point to comply with all the safety measures – whether it is wearing masks and gloves, or using sanitisers, reports The Logical Indian.   

Since the barber lives with his elderly mother, wife, and three children, he is always under the fear of transmitting the virus to his family members. 

“I use sanitisers that have a high amount of alcohol and hot water to disinfect each tool after each haircut. Whenever I enter my house, I directly go to the bathroom without touching anything. My wife has also guided me on ways to sterilise the equipment,” he adds.