BENGALURU: With the Karnataka government struggling to manage medical facilities for Covid patients, various political parties are pitching in to help patients get treatment and also the required materials for home isolation.
State BJP secretary N Ravikumar told TNIE that the party unit has already created helpline numbers for every Lok Sabha constituency, which connect to BJP workers who take care of oxygen for ICU beds and ambulances for crematoriums.
The BJP is also trying to include doctors in every mandal -- with 300 mandals at the taluk level, they are planning to rope in 600 doctors. “In many cases, people are panicking and rushing to hospital when they can be treated in home isolation. We take help of doctors who will assist these people and help avoid pressure on hospitals,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP and state government are also planning to convert schools, colleges and community halls into Covid Care Centres, where beds will be put up for Covid patients.
The Congress too is making an effort to reach out to patients and provide facilities. Karnataka Youth Congress President Rakesh Ramaiah said they are helping people right from getting plasma donors to ICU beds and medicines. Their team is working mainly in Bengaluru, which is battling a high number of cases, besides Ballari, Belagavi and Kalaburagi.
“We have a team of 24 people, eight members working in a shift of eight hours, who are mainly helping on social media platforms and getting facilities for patients,” he said. The team is also working in association with the KPCC doctors’ cell.
A team from Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, headed by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Indian Youth Congress National President BV Srinivas, is also using technology and social media to rush help to patients.
Interestingly, the JDS is nowhere to be seen, barring a couple of leaders hitting out at the State government through social media.