Updated April 16th, 2020 at 08:58 IST
Fact Check: Are COVID-19 patients being segregated on religious lines in Gujarat hospital?
Fact check on the claim made by USCIRF that says COVID-19 patients are being segregated on religious lines in a Gujarat hospital, citing a news item
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Claim: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) says COVID-19 patients are being segregated on religious lines in a Gujarat hospital, citing a news item.
What is the rumour about?
- The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has reportedly segregated wards of COVID-19 patients along religious lines.
- Officials of the hospital are tight-lipped after local media reported the issue, but insiders said the decision was taken after a large number of cases were reported from a cluster of a religious gathering in Delhi and their contacts in minority-dominated pockets of the city.
Who started the rumour?
- Federal government organisation (USCIRF)
USCIRF is concerned with reports of Hindu & Muslim patients separated into separate hospital wards in #Gujarat. Such actions only help to further increase ongoing stigmatization of Muslims in #India and exacerbate false rumors of Muslims spreading #COVID19 https://t.co/GXigs4w5na
— USCIRF (@USCIRF)
Rating: False
The MEA has refuted this claim
- Speaking on the allegations, Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava in response said,
"As if its peremptory commentary on religious freedom in India is not enough, the USCIRF is now spreading misguided reports on the professional medical protocols followed to deal with the spread of COVID-19 in India."
The @USCIRF must stop adding religious colour to our national goal of fighting the COVID 19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/CsdGplDWmL
— Anurag Srivastava (@MEAIndia)
Even PIB dismissed the report as false
#PIBFactCheck :
— PIB India 🇮🇳 #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India)
Myth : USCIRF says #COVID patients are being segregated on religious lines in a Gujarat hospital, citing a news item
Reality: Unfortunate that this claim is based on a news item, already found fake and denied by the State govt. Read here: https://t.co/iIkrv4kj2T
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Published April 15th, 2020 at 23:49 IST