THREAD on covid helpline in #Delhi: ‘Everyone is clueless. It’s like you’re shooting in the dark, with no one to point you in the right direction.’ recounts a friend who haplessly called the covid helpline after his wife developed severe symptoms. This was his experience: (1/7)
The first set of frantic calls were made at 11pm. No response on the helpline which one would imagine to be active 24/7. He finally got a hearing in the morning, and asked the executive about the set of steps they are supposed to take. Entire family was showing symptoms. (2/7)
‘Just ask your wife to take paracetamol’, advised the voice from the other side.
‘Am I speaking to a doctor?’
‘No, but this is my personal advice to you.’
‘At what stage do I take her to hospital?’
‘We don’t have any beds available. Just stay home.’ (3/7)
‘Am I speaking to a doctor?’
‘No, but this is my personal advice to you.’
‘At what stage do I take her to hospital?’
‘We don’t have any beds available. Just stay home.’ (3/7)
‘Ok. At least ensure a board saying ‘in-quarantine’ outside our house?’
‘We don’t have staff or resources to do that.’
‘What about my family? Will someone come to conduct test for us?’
‘We don’t have enough kits & CM has ordered that no tests will be conducted for 3 days.’ (4/7)
‘We don’t have staff or resources to do that.’
‘What about my family? Will someone come to conduct test for us?’
‘We don’t have enough kits & CM has ordered that no tests will be conducted for 3 days.’ (4/7)
‘So what do we do? My wife has severe diarrhoea, fever and she has lost sense of smell’
‘Someone will call you.’
‘When?’
‘I cannot say. We are short on staff, but someone will call’ (5/7)
‘Someone will call you.’
‘When?’
‘I cannot say. We are short on staff, but someone will call’ (5/7)
‘I finally consulted my family doctor who advised my family on precautions, medicines, diet, and the do’s & dont’s. Last 24 hours have been traumatic. Now I’m still stressing about what next?What if one of us needs hospitalisation. Will we get a bed & where?’ (6/7)
‘There is no roadmap laid out for citizens. We are left to fend for ourselves. What is the point of a helpline if you cant help us with the right advice, forget action! Is this what our CM @ArvindKejriwal means when he says we have to learn to live with it? The constant anxiety?’
‘So what do we do? My wife has severe diarrhoea, fever and she has lost sense of smell’
‘Someone will call you.’
‘When?’
‘I cannot say. We are short on staff, but someone will call’ (5/7)
‘Someone will call you.’
‘When?’
‘I cannot say. We are short on staff, but someone will call’ (5/7)
