Malicious and unsubstantiated accusations regarding Leh hospital: Army

New Delhi: The level of politics has stooped so low in the country that it has not even left the armed forces that were always regarded sacrosanct. The main opposition Congress has been questioning the status of facility at General Hospital, Leh ever since Prime Minister Modi has visited the injured soldiers of Galwan valley clash. Indian National Congress politician Salman Nizami Tweeted "Mr Modi was born to lie. First, he says no one entered our territory. Then he does photo-op with jawans wounded in Chinese incursion. Of-course Godi media will do his damage control. But I guess the damage to our territory & sovereignty are enormous!" after photographs of PM Modi's hospital visit emerged.

National media panellist of INC Abhishek Dutt too raised questions on the facility saying that it doesn't look like a hospital.

Army gives it back

Indian Army on Saturday clarified calling the accusations malicious and unsubstantiated. "There have been malicious and unsubstantiated accusations in some quarters regarding the status of the facility visited by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to the General Hospital at Leh on July 03, 2020" a press statement issued by Army mentioned.

"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. 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 clarifed.

"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" the statement issued by Army mentioned.

"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" it concluded.

Galwan Valley clash

On the night of June 15-16, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and several others were injured after a violent clash broke out between Bihar regiment of the Army and PLA troops in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. Both sides have been engaged to resolve a border dispute since past five-week.

It was the first such incident along the border with China that Indian armed forces personnel have been killed after a gap of nearly 45 years. In 1974, four Indian soldiers had lost their lives in an ambush at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh.

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