When the TN CM answered an SOS call at the COVID-19 war room

Chennai resident Archana Padmakar had made a distress call to 104 on Friday night for a relative; the CM assured her of help and a bed was allocated at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital

When Chennai resident Archana Padmakar, made a call for a medical emergency, she was in for a surprise. Her late night distress call on Friday, to the COVID-19 war room seeking a bed for an elderly relative, was attended to by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who was on a visit to the facility. He promised her timely help. In 30 minutes, the patient, whose oxygen saturation levels had dropped to 84%, was allocated a bed at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). Ms. Padmakar, who is the deputy director of the Emergency Care and Recovery Centre, The Banyan, has been volunteering on social media to find beds for patients in need. “I have been volunteering on Instagram and Facebook groups. But this was the first time that I called the 104 helpline for my relative,” she said.