Ghaziabad: A controversy erupted on Sunday after Union Minister and member of parliament from Ghaziabad, General VK Singh took to Twitter, like tens of thousands of helpless citizens, and appealed to the District Magistrate of Ghaziabad to provide a bed for his brother.
But even as he later clarified that he was asked to arrange a bed at a Covid hospital for someone else, not for his own brother, social media erupted with questions on the efficacy of a healthcare system, in which not just common residents, but elected representatives and government ministers are having to seek help on Twitter.
The Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways had posted on Twitter seeking help from authorities in Ghaziabad to get a hospital bed for a patient. The minister tagged the district magistrate and appealed to him to arrange a bed for the Covid-19 positive person who is unable to find a bed in any hospital in Ghaziabad.
Later, Singh justified his tweet saying that he has requested a bed for some other person who was running from pillar to post.
"I tweeted this request so that the district administration can reach the person in need and provide him with the medical care that his brother requires. He is not my brother by blood relation, but by bond of humanity. I think it's an alien concept to some" he tweeted.
Singh further deleted the tweet later to avoid controversies and said "Am amazed at IQ level of trawls and fastest finger channels. Tweet was forward of a tweet to DM and says 'please look into this'. Forwarded tweet is in Hindi. Bed needs have been sorted out by DM & CMO, hence to DM. Suggest correct your understanding" he further tweeted.
But many like Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi went on to say, "Here, Hon. MP and Minister has forwarded a plea received by him to the DM. But this tweet in itself explains the helplessness of an elected representative & his inability to find a single bed in his constituency. I hope the patient gets the help needed and is fine soon."
Meanwhile, Ghaziabad reported 253 new infections on Sunday and two more deaths, whereas Noida registered another record surge with 700 new cases and three more deaths.