NEW DELHI: After spending hours fruitlessly calling government helplines in a search for a hospital bed for a critically ill Covid-19 patient, Indian lawyer Jeevika Shiv posted an SOS request on Twitter. “Serious #covid19 patient in #Delhi with oxygen level 62 needs immediate hospital bed,” Shiv, part of a 350-member Covid-19 volunteer Medical Support Group, said on Twitter late last week. In response, people are bypassing the conventional lines of communication and turning to Twitter to crowdsource help for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds and other requirements. “Twitter is having to do what the government helpline numbers should be doing,” wrote Twitter user Karanbir Singh. On Monday, journalist Sweta Dash posted a plea for help on Twitter to find bed with a ventilator for a pregnant woman in New Delhi.

Source: The Star April 21, 2021 10:41 UTC