Fact Check: Photo of woman sitting outside hospital with oxygen cylinder not related to pandemic
A photo of an old woman sitting outside a hospital with an oxygen cylinder beside her has gone viral with the claim....
By Satya Priya BN Published on 21 April 2021 7:00 AM GMT
Hyderabad: With COVID-19 cases on the rise several false messages, photos, and videos are being circulated on social media, creating panic among people.
A photo of an old woman sitting outside a hospital with an oxygen cylinder beside her has gone viral with the claim that it shows the current COVID-19 situation in the country.
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Fact Check:
The claim that the viral image is recent and represents the current COVID-19 situation is MISLEADING.
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search using Yandex and found that the image is from Uttar Pradesh and is from 2018.
According to a report we found on indiatimes.com, a man was allegedly made to wait for an ambulance at Uttar Pradesh's Agra Medical College while carrying an oxygen cylinder attached to his ailing mother, on his shoulder.
The report carried the viral images, too.
A YouTube video by ANI said, "In yet another case of medical apathy, a man was allegedly made to wait for an ambulance at Uttar Pradesh's Agra Medical College, while carrying oxygen cylinder attached to his ailing mother, on his shoulder. A video of the medical apathy went viral where the woman was seen standing in the hospital premises with her oxygen mask on, while her son was standing next to her holding her oxygen tank. The mother-son duo waited for a long time for the ambulance, but the vehicle was a no-show. However, hospital authorities denied the allegation while assuring action in the matter."
According to a report in hindi.news18.com, Anguri Devi, who lives in Runukta, was admitted to the trauma center. Later, she was asked to shift to the general ward. But as the ward was far away, they had to wait for an ambulance. During this time, the son kept the oxygen cylinder on the shoulder and waited for the ambulance outside for hours to shift his mother to the ward. However, the ambulance did not arrive.
The elderly Anguri Devi's health deteriorated due to the scorching heat. When the patient's health worsened, the son again admitted the sick mother to the emergency ward. After the matter came to light, the hospital administration ordered an inquiry.
The incident took place in April 2018 and is not related to the current COVID-19 situation. Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.
