It is no news that social media is filled with SOS calls by desperate people seeking healthcare resources for themselves or their loved ones amid the pandemic. One of such people is comedian Mallika Dua who took to social media to seek help regarding arranging medicines for her mother.
According to News18, both Mallika’s parents tested Covid-positive last week. She tweeted a request to arrange medicines for her mother, who is hospitalised, and tagged former Lok Sabha member Deepender Singh Hooda.
An hour later, Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri responded to her tweet, gave his contact number, and said that he has arranged the necessary medication. Have a look at the conversation here:
Later, Mallika announced on Twitter that her mother’s medication had been arranged and thanked Hardeep Singh Puri for helping her out.
However, many people online expressed how this incident showed the existent ‘VIP culture’ in such a crisis. Some even said that while common citizens are losing their loved ones due to the lack of medical resources, ministers and politicians are prioritising the rich and famous. Have a look at some of the tweets here:
We live in a country where being rich & poor matters the most.#MallikaDua pic.twitter.com/N96jRa1Ag5
— Tweetera🐦 (@DoctorrSays) May 17, 2021
I'm surprised the Union Minister replied with the number. He was not even asked.
WHY Mallika Dua is important and not the common civilians? pic.twitter.com/Edx1I6EOjy— BOB (The Builder) (@ManofGratitude) May 17, 2021
Dear @BJP4India & Ministers,
You're bound to serve people. You're available for help for Saba Naqvi or Mallika Dua! When commoners reach out to you, you don't show the same enthusiasm in helping out!
Instead, the IT cell will how show our Fatality Rate is low! Have some shame!
— Preetam Rao (@Preetam_M_Rao) May 16, 2021
@HardeepSPuri sir can you please let us all know if any of the ones without blue tick will survive this pandemic or do we not have the right to get medicines for our friends and family?
Why do common people have to go through this? Because they dont have a blue tick?— ChineseCovid(Principal of Haywards University) (@ChineseCovid) May 16, 2021
It is not about who voted for whom, it is about privilege. It is about an injection which is not available for a common man but is arranged without even tagging the minister. https://t.co/0UFk3LqNvv
— अंकित जैन (@indiantweeter) May 16, 2021
VIP Culture will never end in India 🙁
— imcshivam (@MrCricketer24) May 16, 2021
We lost our friend yesterday as we had to gi thru a long process for getting Tocilizumab in pune , We lost another friend in Abad who couldn't acquire remdesiever.. both r survived by 4 year old daughter and wife . they had requested to @PMOIndia but they didnt reply.. lucky u
— [email protected] (@Rushinashahroc1) May 16, 2021
Would you call this ‘VIP treatment’? Tell us.