Army clarifies after dispute over PM Narendra Modi’s Ladakh Leh hospital

New Delhi:

The Indian military said on Saturday that the allegations that a medical service had been set up to organize a photo op for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to a military hospital in Ladakh were “malicious and baseless”. The medical service was an audio-video training room which had been converted under the COVID-19 protocol well before Prime Minister Modi’s visit, according to the press release.

“It is unfortunate that there are doubts about the way our brave Armed Forces are treated. The Armed Forces offer the best possible treatment to their personnel,” the army said in a statement.

Prime Minister Modi paid an unannounced visit to Ladakh on Friday, weeks after a clash with Chinese troops that left 20 soldiers dead. He also encountered wounded and treated soldiers at the hospital.

The government has billed Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Nimu in Ladakh as an “advanced position” in Ladakh, even though the Galwan Valley, where the clash took place, is at least 200 km by road and Nimu is a popular tourist destination for a long time. Outposts are generally less than 40 km from the front line and fall within range of enemy fire.

Photographs published by the BJP and PM Modi’s government during his hospital visit also sparked controversy online, as many said the facility did not look like a hospital because there was no hospital. ‘medicine cabinets, IV fluid tanks and other medical equipment.

Some even spotted a projector hanging from the ceiling while PM Modi placed the next soldiers on tidy beds with wheels in a sparkling clean room.

To paraphrase a certain “journalist” –
In memory, I have never seen a hospital room full of patients who had a projector and a screen at the end.

Not in living memory have I seen a room with no medical equipment available from any angle. pic.twitter.com/dUFfOFvIB6

– Doctor Roshan R ???? (@pythoroshan) July 4, 2020

#ChaiWalaMBBS

These are the wounded soldiers #GalwanValleyFaceOff ???????? ‍♀️ ???????? ‍♂️

Everything in the posture of Pranayama

Who is the director of this sanitized stage – No other visible hospital equipment #Leh_Ladakh# 5th schedule#India#ModiSurrendersToChina#StatueOfDisplacement#examscancelledpic.twitter.com/C2yqwRa3Kz

– Chhotubhai Vasava (@Chhotu_Vasava) July 4, 2020

What we see in hospitals
✔️Medical equipment
✔️ IVs / needles
✔️Doctors / Nurses
✔️ Side table with water / medicine / reports
✔️ Injured / sick / lying patients

What we don’t see in hospitals
✖️Projector
BoardsWhite boards
IasDias with Mike
✖️All patients seated (positioned), “Quotation (ALL)” pic.twitter.com/6CkEfDPCaK

– प्रशान्त रावत (@rawatprashantt) July 4, 2020

Sources say the photos at Modi visit hospital are authentic. But, it says a lot that something like that is even questioned. False quantities of fakes in the past six years

– Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) July 4, 2020

Ignoring the allegations, the Indian military issued a statement on Saturday saying: “There have been malicious and baseless accusations in some circles regarding the status of the establishment visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the country. Leh General Hospital on July 3. “

“It is specified that said establishment is part of the crisis expansion capacity of 100 beds and is an integral part of the general hospital complex,” he added.

He stated that the COVID-19 protocol required the conversion of certain hospital services to isolation facilities.

“Consequently, this room, which was normally used as an audio-video training room, has been transformed into a room since the hospital was also designated as a COVID-19 treatment hospital,” he added.

The army said that “the brave wounded have remained there since their arrival from Galwan to ensure the quarantine of the COVID zones. The chief of general staff MM Naravane and the army commander also visited the brave wounded at the same location”.