Fact Check: Viral photos of Delhi's Mohalla clinic are old
Users claim that the Mohalla clinic has turned into a hub for alcoholics and drug addicts and a shelter for the strays.
By Tejal Sinha Published on 1 Jun 2021 10:00 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A photo of the Mohalla clinic in Babarpur is being shared on Twitter. Users claim that the Mohalla clinic has turned into a hub for alcoholics and drug addicts and a shelter for the strays.
The image shows a Mohalla clinic in the middle of piles of garbage and donkeys feeding on the dirt.
Cricketer turned Politician Gautam Gambhir shared the picture claiming that the condition of the Mohalla clinic was in a bad state. The picture was shared with a caption that read in English, "Are the Harvard and Stanford ones doing research on the same neighborhood clinic?" along with hashtag #FailedMohallaClinic.
MLA Abhijeet Singh Sanga also shared a screenshot of a video report by The Quint titled 'Kejriwal's ailing Mohalla clinic'.
These tweets were shared with a hashtag #FailedMohallaClinic.
Fact Check:
The viral photos being shared on Twitter are misleading.
NewsMeter found that several Twitter users and official Twitter handle of Aam Aadmi Party Delhi said these photos are from 2018. They said the Mohalla clinic is in very good condition.
Through the keywords search, NewsMeter found a report by Dainik Jagran in 2018. According to the report, the image was of a Mohalla clinic in Kardampuri ward in Babarpur, a Vidhan Sabha constituency of Aam Aadmi Party's Gopal Rai. The report stated that the Mohalla clinic was built a year ago, but it was not inaugurated. As a result, the donkeys and horses come to rest in the facility.
Later, Jagran did a follow-up story on September 8, 2018, with the headline, "Mohalla clinic converted into a tavern, Kejriwal government wasting money". The other viral images showed a dingy Mohalla clinic.
The viral images had The Quint's logo. The thumbnail image The Quint story on 25, 2018, read, "Delhi's Ailing Mohalla Clinics; Is this Arvind Kejriwal's Dream?"
NewsMeter then found that currently, the Mohalla clinic is in a running condition and the patients' regular visit to the facility for checkups.
In 2019, News18 reported that Delhi Minister Gopal Rai Inaugurated Mohalla Clinic. It said he was shown black flags by BJP Workers.
A report by IndiaSpend on February 7, 2020, said many people said they only visited a doctor when they felt very unwell or had debilitating symptoms of the disease. With Mohalla Clinics, which are free and accessible, they have started visiting for more regular check-ups, and even for flu-like symptoms.
Evidently, the claims made by the BJP leaders are misleading. The pictures shared are old.
