Indians are taking to social media to beg for hospital beds, oxygen and medicine for sick relatives as hospitals buckle under a coronavirus surge.
The country has now registered more than 15.6 million coronavirus cases and 181,000 deaths. After strict lockdowns brought the spread of the pandemic under control, cases began to rise again in March, topping over 250,000 new cases daily this week.
As authorities and hospitals struggle to deal with the deluge of new patients every day, families are making frantic appeals on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and even dating app Tinder to amplify their pleas for plasma donors, medicines, hospital beds and oxygen.
“We found a plasma match for our friend through Tinder,” wrote Sohini Chattopadhyay on Twitter after finding a donor on the dating app.
“Dating app 1, govt 0.” she wrote.
Anger is brewing against the government as it appeared to be caught off guard by the wave of infections. India recorded and an all time-high of 295,041 cases and records death of 2,023 on Wednesday.
Makeshift hospitals have been set-up in schools, auditoriums, religious institutions and even train compartments to deal with the catastrophic numbers amid new lockdowns across several states and cities.
Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the city's healthcare system had reached its limit while announcing a week-long lockdown in the national capital.
As on Wednesday, there were less than 30 intensive care beds available out of the total 4,650 beds in the city of 20 million residents that has recorded more than 25,000 cases every day this week.
The unprecedented surge in cases has also led to the shortage of most critical medicines for treating Covid-19, triggering clandestine sales at inflated prices.
Police have arrested dozens of people for selling, stealing and making counterfeit Remdesivir injections, a high-demand anti-viral drug.
Oxygen cylinders are selling for three times the actual cost in black markets across several parts of the country as desperate families procure the life-saving commodity for home treatment as hospitals struggle to meet the huge demand.
“I just want to say I’ve never seen anything like India Covid Twitter over the last few days," said Twitter user Christopher Clary, an assistant Professor of Political Science at University at Albany.
“Countless people struggling to find help, and turning to social media because regular channels aren’t working.”
Thousands of posts from anxious relatives and friends with details and pictures of their sick patients have flooded social media asking for leads and information on the availability of medicines and plasma donors. Influential Twitter users, including politicians, journalists and celebrities, amplify calls for assistance.
Words like #plasma, #remdesivir and #oxygen have been trending for more than two weeks on Twitter now.
“Need A+ blood donors urgently at Dombivilli, Mumbai- must have completed 28 days after recovery from Covid for my aunt who’s critical and on ventilator,” wrote Shasvati Siva on Twitter.
As requests flood in, several social media accounts have been created to consolidate lists and provide updates to donors.
Ketan Chouthkanthiwar and his friend Saneeka Vaidya – both 21 and 2nd year medical students from Mumbai – created Plasma Donors Mumbai, a platform on Instagram, last week to connect donors and desperate families.
So far, they have succeeded in helping 35 people find plasma but demand has increased manifold in recent days.
"We receive 20-25 requests every day but we are only able to help 7-8 people. There is a backlog. People want to donate but there are several do's and don'ts so it is not always easy to find a match. The demand for plasma is only increasing with each passing day," Mr Chouthkanthiwar told The National.
Twitter account Blood Donors India @BloodDonorsIn with 1.2 million followers has been inundated with requests for plasma donors from users across the country.
“In last 6 days, We have received more than 7,500 + requests for #Plasma & still working on it,” it said.
Srinivas B V, an opposition Congress politician with more than 310,000 followers on Twitter, claims 20,000 people were able to find hospital beds, medicines and oxygen over the past weeks through his initiative.
Community groups and activists have also sprung into action and have launched initiatives to provide medicine and door-to-door food to families who are infected and cannot cook or arrange meals.
“Really feel debited to the efforts of strangers on social media who are putting efforts to help those in need in such difficult times,” Twitter user Ragvendra wrote after he found a hospital bed for his father in Bhopal through a crowd-sourcing initiative.
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
England v South Africa schedule:
- First Test: At Lord's, England won by 219 runs
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Profile Periscope Media
Founder: Smeetha Ghosh, one co-founder (anonymous)
Launch year: 2020
Employees: four – plans to add another 10 by July 2021
Financing stage: $250,000 bootstrap funding, approaching VC firms this year
Investors: Co-founders
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada
Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Matias Suarez
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)
Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)
Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)
Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)
Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)
Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
Arsenal's pre-season fixtures
Thursday Beat Sydney 2-0 in Sydney
Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney
Wednesday v Bayern Munich in Shanghai
July 22 v Chelsea in Beijing
July 29 v Benfica in London
July 30 v Sevilla in London
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
