Authors
Shaminder started off his career as a freelance journalist for a consulting and research firm. He has been a Political Strategist and Media Manager. Before joining Newschecker, he worked with various reputed media agencies like Daily Post India, PTC News.
Claim:
Indian Army has constructed an advanced hospital with a capacity of 1,000 beds in Barmer, Rajasthan, to cope up with Covid-19.
Verification:
Amid panic over the novel coronavirus, several rumor-mongering messages and graphics are doing the rounds on various social media platforms. Among them is a set of three photos which claim that the Indian Army has constructed an advanced hospital with the capacity of 1,000 beds in Barmer, Rajasthan, to cope up with Covid-19.
Twitter user Kunda Kavelkar shared the viral photos. The text reads, “Indian Army has constructed an advanced hospital with the capacity of 1,000 beds in Barmer, Rajasthan to tackle the coronavirus. It is equipped with an Intensive Care Unit and 100 ventilators for treatment of 1000 coronavirus patients”.
भारतीय सेना के द्वारा बाडमेर (राजस्थान) में केवल दो दिनों में खड़ा किया गया पूरे “एक हजार बिस्तरों” का परिपूर्ण अस्पताल
इसमें सौ वेंटिलेटर्स से सुसज्जित “गहन चिकित्सा विभाग” (आइसीयू) भी हैं और एक साथ करोना-वायरस के एक हजार रोगियों के इलाज की पूरी व्यवस्था भी. फौजीभाई pic.twitter.com/jQghKcpaio— कुंदा कवळेकर…( K.K.) (@kundakavelkar) March 24, 2020
We found that several users shared viral photos on Facebook and Twitter. The viral video was also sent by several readers to Newschecker’s WhatsApp helpline number for verification.
Fact Check:
As we began our fact check, we checked the official Twitter handle of the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army). The Tweet made it clear that the photos viral on social media are fake. It reads, “A Fake input is circulating on Social Media that the Indian Army has established a 1000 bed quarantine facility in Barmer. This is untrue”.
A Fake input is circulating on Social Media that #IndianArmy has established 1000 bed quarantine facility in Barmer.
This is untrue. pic.twitter.com/ne78m7KCXW
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) March 23, 2020
We analyzed and started checking the photos being circulated on social media.
First picture:
With the help of Google reverse image search, we found an article post-dated on the website named Trend on September 11, 2019. The headline of the article reads: “Russia to donate mobile hospital worth KGS 5.5 mln to Kyrgyz Emergency Ministry. It is evident that the photograph is not from India and has been used long before the coronavirus outbreak. However, we were not able to verify the original location of the photo.
Second picture:
We ran the reverse image search on the second photo. During our search, we found the photo uploaded on the official Twitter handle of the Principal Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, on April 28, 2015. It reads: “#NepalEarthquake Casualty Triage Centre set up by Army Medical Corps at Kathmandu Air Base to aid the rescued people”.
#NepalEarthquake Casualty Triage Centre set up by Army Medical Corps at Kathmandu Air Base to aid the rescued people pic.twitter.com/a8FW48gaUI
— ADG (M&C) DPR (@SpokespersonMoD) April 28, 2015
Third Picture:
With the help of reverse image search, we found an article published on the website of March Air Reserve Base, an airbase set up in California. The report published on November 16, 2008, carried out the viral photo. The article reads, “For the first time since the mid-90s, there was a fully functional hospital at March ARB. The 200-bed mobile field hospital (MFH), one of three owned by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA), began setup Sunday and became the nerve center for a week-long training event sponsored by the Office of Homeland Security.”
Conclusion:
It is evident from our fact check that the images viral on social media claiming that the Indian Army has constructed an advanced hospital with the capacity of 1,000 beds in Barmer, Rajasthan, to cope up with Covid-19 are old and unrelated.
Result: False
Sources
Google Reverse Image Search
Google Search
Media Reports
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Authors
Shaminder started off his career as a freelance journalist for a consulting and research firm. He has been a Political Strategist and Media Manager. Before joining Newschecker, he worked with various reputed media agencies like Daily Post India, PTC News.
