As India continues to reel under the second wave of COVID-19 and several states reporting acute shortage of ICU beds, oxygen and other medical facilities, a message is being shared on social media with a claim that Indian Army has announced opening up all of its military hospitals for civilians infected with COVID-19. The message also has a list of Army hospitals in several states listed in it.
A Facebook user shared the message which read:
“Finally a Good News : To Counter scarcity of Covid ICU Beds in India (Second Wave )
ADGPI – Indian Army today announced opening up of its all Military hospitals for civilians during Covid. The medical staff of the Army is being made available to various State governments also and the Indian Army is setting up temporary hospitals in various parts of the country. As of 2020, there are 112 Military Hospitals, 12 Air Force Hospitals and 10 Naval Hospitals in India. All citizens can approach their nearest Indian Army hospitals.
Major Military hospitals are –
181 Military Hospital #Tenga #Arunachal Pradesh
151 Base Hospital #Guwahati #Assam
155 Base Hospital #Tezpur
160 Military Hospital #Silchar
162 Military Hospital #Dinjan
180 Military Hospital #Missamari
188 Military Hospital #Likabali
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Danapur #Bihar
Military Hospital #Gaya
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Panaji #Goa
…………………………………………………………….
Base Hospital Delhi #Cantt #Delhi
Army Hospital (R&R)
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Ahmedabad #Gujarat
Military Hospital #Baroda
Military Hospital #Bhuj
Military Hospital #Dharangadhara
Military Hospital #Jamnagar
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Ambala #Haryana
Command Hospital #Chandimandir Cantt
Military Hospital #Hisar
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Kasauli #Himachal Pradesh
Military Hospital #Shimla
Military Hospital #Bakloh
Military Hospital #Dalhousie
Military Hospital #Palampur
Military Hospital #Yol
…………………………………………………………….
171 Military Hospital #Samba #Jammu and #Kashmir
Command Hospital #Udhampur
Military Hospital #Doda
Military Hospital #Kargil
92 Base Hospital #Srinagar
150 General Hospital #Rajouri
153 General Hospital #Leh
166 Military Hospital #Jammu
168 Military Hospital #Durgmulla
169 Military Hospital #Surankot
170 Military Hospital #Akhnoor
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Namkum #Jharkhand
Military Hospital #Ramgarh
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Belgaum #Karnataka
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Cannonore #Kerala
Military Hospital #Trivandrum
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Bhopal #MadhyaPradesh
Military Hospital #Gwalior
Military Hospital #Sagar
Military Hospital #Jabalpur
Military Hospital #Mhow
Military Hospital #Pachmarhi
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Ahmednagar #Maharashtra
Military Hospital #Aurangabad
Military Hospital #Devlali
Military Hospital #Kamptee
Military Hospital #Khadakvasla
Military Hospital #Kirkee
Command Hospital #Pune
Military Hospital CTC Pune
Military Hospital #Pulgaon
…………………………………………………………….
183 Military Hospital #Leimakong #Manipur
Military Hospital #Shillong #Meghalaya
154 General Hospital #Zakhama #Nagaland
165 Military Hospital #Dimapur
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Gopalpur #Odisha
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Amritsar #Punjab
Military Hospital #Jalandhar
Military Hospital #Patiala
159 General Hospital #Ferozpur
167 Military Hospital #Pathankot
172 Military Hospital #Gurdaspur
173 Military Hospital #Faridkot
174 Military Hospital #Bathinda
175 Military Hospital #Abohar
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Jodhpur #Rajasthan
Military Hospital Nasirabad
177 Military Hospital #Jalipa
185 Military Hospital #Udaipur
Military Hospital #Alwar
Military Hospital #Jaipur
Military Hospital #Kota
176 Military Hospital Sri Ganganagar
184 Military Hospital #Suratgarh
187 Military Hospital #Bikaner
…………………………………………………………….
178 Military Hospital Gangtok #Sikkim
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Avadi #Tamil Nadu
Military Hospital #Chennai
Military Hospital #Wellingto
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Golconda #Telangana
Military Hospital #Secundrabad
…………………………………………………………….
182 Military Hospital #Agartala #Tripura
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Dehradun #Uttarakhand
Military Hospital #Lansdowne
Military Hospital #Ranikhet
Military Hospital #Roorkee
161 Military Hospital #Pithoragarh
…………………………………………………………….
Military Hospital #Babina #UttarPradesh
Military Hospital #Jhansi
Military Hospital #Agra
Military Hospital #Allahabad
Military Hospital #Bareilly
Base Hospital Lucknow
Command Hospital #Lucknow
Military Hospital #Faizabad
Military Hospital #Fatehgarh
Military Hospital #Mathura
Military Hospital #Meerut
Military Hospital #Varanasi
…………………………………………………………….
Base Hospital #Barrackpore West #Bengal
Command Hospital #Kolkata
Military Hospital #Panagarh
158 Base Hospital #Bengdubi
Military Hospital #Lebong
164 Military Hospital #Binaguri
179 Military Hospital #Kalimpong
( Will you share this important information with your known contacts ? )
Jai Hind 🇮🇳🙏🏻 !!”
Here’s the link to the above post. Check similar posts here, here, here and here.
Fact Check
NewsMobile fact-checked the post and found it to be misleading.
Firstly, we searched for the news and found several media reports which stated that Indian Army is indeed opening up its hospitals for civilians but wherever possible.
According to a report by The Hindu, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29, 2021, and discussed various initiatives being taken by the Army to help in COVID-19 management.
The Army Chief also informed PM Modi that Army is opening up its hospitals for civilians wherever possible and citizens can approach their nearest army hospitals.
“Gen M.M. Naravane informed the PM that medical staff of the Army is being made available to various state governments. He also briefed the PM that Army is setting up temporary hospitals in various parts of the country,” the report quoted the Prime Minister’s Office as saying.
You can check similar media reports here and here.
PM Modi also tweeted about the meeting with the Army Chief.
Reviewed the efforts being taken by the Indian Army in the fight against COVID-19. https://t.co/bulevS6Kvu
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2021
However, on further investigation, we found a series of tweets by the Indian Army wherein it clarified that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved a total of 50 Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) hospitals (42 Army, 5 Air Force and 3 Navy) designated as “Dedicated & Mixed COVID Hospitals” wherein besides the entitled clientele of AFMS (serving personnel, dependents, veterans, and their dependents), civilians may also be admitted. This is subject to referral by the local health authority after ascertaining bed availability at these facilities.
It is clarified that the MoD has approved a total of 50 AFMS hospitals (42 Army, 5 Air Force & 3 Navy) designated as “Dedicated & Mixed COVID Hospitals” where besides the entitled clientele of AFMS (serving personnel, dependents, veterans, and their dependents), civilians..(2/3)
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 2, 2021
…may also be admitted subject to referral by the local health authority after ascertaining bed availability at these facilities. (3/3)#Unite2FightCorona #StaySafe
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 2, 2021
Hence, the claim in the viral message that the Army is opening up ALL its hospitals for civilians is misleading and factually wrong. They are opening up only 50 AFMS hospitals, which has been clarified as above.
NewsMobile also spoke exclusively to senior Army officials to ascertain the truth independently. They confirmed that the viral claim is false.
Hence, from the above information, it is clear that the claim in the viral message is misleading.
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