New Delhi: Indian Army on Saturday said that there have been “malicious and unsubstantiated accusations” regarding the state of the facility visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the General Hospital at Leh on Friday.
“It is unfortunate that aspersions are being cast on how our brave Armed Forces are treated. The Armed Forces give the best possible treatment to their personnel,” the Army said. The Army clarified that the facility is part of the crisis expansion capacity of 100 beds and is very much part of the General Hospital complex.
The statement added, “The COVID-19 protocol had necessitated some wards of the General Hospital to be converted into isolation facilities. Hence, this hall which otherwise was normally used as a Training Audio Video Hall was converted into a ward ever since the hospital was also designated as COVID treatment hospital.”
It further noted that the injured have been kept there since their arrival from Galwan to ensure quarantine from COVID-19 areas. The Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane and the Army Commander also visited the injured soldiers in the same location.
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Sorry to have to say this but…The pic looks like a total photo-op. The beds are all neat and those patients don’t look ill at all.
For media consumption only, nothing more.
Taimur (what an interesting name) – Having been treated in Military hospitals, I can tell you that Military Hospitals do not look anything like “civilian” hospitals. Soldiers are taught to keep their beds immaculate right from the time they live in training barracks. It is common for Military soldiers to sit in a “Vishram” sitting positions when visited by a senior officer. (Soldiers recuperating from grave injuries and who are physically unable to sit upright are of course exempt from following this glorious military tradition). This is what you see in the picture. Did P.M Modi use his visit as a photo opp? Maybe! Was Winston Churchill’s visit to a bombing site with a cigar in his mouth a photo opp? Maybe! But, do not for a second cast aspersions that the Indian Military would stage a hospital setting for this visit.