'Unfortunate & Malicious': Army Trashes Criticism Over Treatment Of Injured Soldiers In Leh Hospital

Indian Army's statement came on the backdrop of harsh criticims by several on social media expressing doubt that if the Ladakh facility shown in photos was a hospital at all.

PM Modi meets soldiers, who were injured in recent Galwan Valley Clash, at Leh in Ladakh. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Reacting to criticism in some quarters about the medical facility in a military hospital in Leh where Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the soldiers injured in the Galwan Valley clashes on Friday, Indian Army on Saturday issued a statement terming the claims to be "malicious and unsubstantiated." The Indian Army, in its statement, clarified that the armed forces are given the best possible treatment and hall shown in the photos were converted into a medical ward due to Coronavirus crisis.

#IndianArmy clarification on status of facility at General Hospital, Leh.https://t.co/LmEOrk0Hyf pic.twitter.com/s1biqIVpN4

— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) July 4, 2020

"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 statement read. Indian Army's statement came on the backdrop of harsh criticims by several on social media expressing doubt that if the Ladakh facility shown in photos, where PM Modi met the soldiers injured during Galway Valley faceoff, was a hospital at all. ALSO READ | ‘Age Of Expansionism Is Over,’ PM Modi Launches Salvo At China From Ladakh | Key Takeaways Following release of photographs of Modi's interaction with the injured soldiers, there were comments on Twitter that the facility did not look like a hospital as there were no medicine cabinet, I V (intravenous) stand, and other medical equipment. "There have been malicious and unsubstantiated accusations in some quarters regarding the status of the facility visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the General Hospital at Leh on July 3," the Army said. The Army further said: "It is clarified that the said facility is part of the Crisis Expansion capacity of 100 beds and is very much part of the General Hospital complex." It said the COVID-19 protocol had necessitated some wards of the 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-19 treatment hospital," it said. The Army also stated that the "injured braves have been kept there since their arrival from Galwan to ensure quarantine from COVID areas. The Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane and the Army Commander have also visited the injured braves in the same location."