The healthcare system is collapsing while COVID positive patients struggle to get access to hospital beds, plasma donors, oxygen, medicines etc. During a difficult time like this, social media has proven to be a saviour to those in need.?
India is reporting 3 lakh+ cases in a single day, even though many believe that the real number is much higher. This has led to a call for help on Twitter and Instagram where social media influencers as well as the common user are pitching in as much as they can to help out.?
#Covidemergency2021, #SOSCOV21, #Oxygencylinders, #IndiaNeedsOxygen are the trending topics on Twitter. Similarly, Instagram stories of almost all users are splattered with requests like ¡°#Urgent: Need Plasma Donors¡±, ¡°Help! ICU Bed wanted¡±, ¡°Need Remdesivir injections urgently, patient critical!¡±?
It is almost surprising to see a post on these social media platforms that do not talk about the above-mentioned things.?
Social media influencers are dedicating all their minutes to helping out COVID-affected families/patients. They have made online groups, asked for volunteers to confirm the legitimacy of sources for oxygen, hospital beds, plasma donors etc and are constantly working towards making the situation lighter on everyone. This is not their job; it comes from a place of goodwill.
There are even those who are providing on-ground relief and support by ensuring that supplies reach people in need. Some are helping dispatch ambulances, bringing oxygen cylinders and physically arranging plasma donation drives.?
Aside from providing medical help, these goodhearted people are also helping out those who are isolated at home by providing them with home-cooked food, groceries and even offering to walk the dogs of patients who are either admitted in hospitals or in-home quarantine.?
These faceless strangers have become the saviour of the nation.?
Deblina Halder, a professional writer from Kolkata responded to a query on social media that was seeking an ambulance for a patient. ¡°Incidentally, there are three ambulances at the local club in my locality in Thakurpukur. When I saw that one of my friend's father was in dire need of an ambulance, I went and requested the club. Within 45 minutes, the ambulance reached my friend¡¯s house,¡± she says.?
Madhish Parikh, an Ahmedabad-based youth activist, told Times of India, ¡°One also needs to verify the information carefully. So, we decided it was our priority to verify each message. We also use relevant hashtags to reach out to the right people for help. We have been able to reach a stage where the maximum turnaround time for responding to a request is 30 minutes.¡±
Digital content creator Kusha Kapila also shared, ¡°This social media activism was born purely out of desperation and helplessness. More than calling it a movement, it¡¯s a cry for help and people who have the mental bandwidth are trying to help each other.¡±?
Let's bow down to these heroes.