'Malicious and unsubstantiated': Army dismisses media reports casting doubts on treatment of injured soldiers at Leh

The Indian Army on Saturday rubbished media reports casting doubts on the treatment of Indian soldiers injured during the Galwan Valley clashes in eastern Ladakh last month as ''malicious and unsubstantiated.''

"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," the army stated in a statement.

 "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 further read.

The Indian Army clarified that the injured soldiers were being treated in an ''expansion capacity of 100 beds which is part of the general hospital complex”. It stated that the soldiers were kept in the make-shift ward to ensure that they were seperated from the COVID-19 wards of the hospital. 

Many media reports questioned the state of the facility visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the General hospital at Leh on Friday.

Amid the ongoing faceoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday made a surprise visit to Ladakh to take stock of the situation.

He was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

He reached Nimu, early morning on Friday and he interacted with Army, Air Force and ITBP personnel.   

While addressing the soldiers, Modi said, "The bravery that you and your compatriots showed, a message has gone to the world about India's strength."

"Your courage is higher than the heights where you are posted today," he added.

"Atmanirbhar Bharat ka sankalp aapke tyag, balidan, pursharth ke karan aur bhi mazbut hai,"(The determination of self-reliant India gets strengthened from your sacrifice and courage)," the Prime Minister said.

The soldiers maintained social distancing while PM Modi's address here.

The violent border clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley last month claimed the lives of 20 Indian jawans, and injured many.

It is the first incident involving the casualty of an Indian soldier in a violent clash with the Chinese Army after 1975 when four Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh.