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Kidney Failure Hasn't Stopped Sushma Swaraj From Working From The Hospital Bed

In the line of duty.
Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. REUTERS/Aamir Qureshi/Pool
POOL New / Reuters
Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. REUTERS/Aamir Qureshi/Pool

A failing kidney hasn't stopped External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj from executing her duties as best as she can.

From her bed at AIIMS, the tech-savvy minister has been responding to crises tweeted at her by people, even as she awaits a kidney transplant.

Geeta, a PhD scholar affiliated to AIIMs, reached out to her on social media recently, complaining of facing trouble getting a visa to go Australia to present a paper. Even as a section of the Twitterati rebuked Geeta of troubling the ailing minister, Swaraj took it in good spirits herself and promised to help her as best as she can.

Within hours, the matter was sorted and Swaraj's reputation as a minister who gets things done was proved once again.

Swaraj is known to be accessible on the social media platform. When she was admitted to the hospital on 16 November, she was the first to break the news on Twitter. Her message led to an outpouring of support from the common people, who not only prayed for her recovery but also offered to donate their kidneys, should she need one. Sartaz Aziz, foreign affairs advisor to Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, also sent her a bouquet, wishing her better health.

Earlier she had helped various people -- from couples stuck on honeymoon to those trying to take their surrogate baby out of India -- by responding directly to their pleas on Twitter. When recently a user from London sought her help to renewing his visa due to a medical emergency, she responded promptly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is, however, slated to announce a replacement for her role soon as Swaraj is expected to be out of action for many months after undergoing a major procedure like a kidney transplant.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.