India: India is facing a severe shortage of oxygen supplies. Hospitals (Max / Fortis) have even tweeted SOS requests on Twitter pleading authorities for oxygen supplies. In Nasik, Maharashtra, 24 Covid-19 patients died without oxygen as a valve malfunction led to disruption of oxygen to the patients on life support. Meanwhile, a plethora of misleading information is going viral across social media. A photo of an elderly woman sitting in the hospital premises with an oxygen cylinder is going viral as recent.
The viral image was tweeted on April 20, 2021 by All India Trinamool Congress’s official handle ‘Banglar Gorbo Mamata’ @BanglarGorboMB and later deleted. The tweet says, “এই মায়ের কি অপরাধ মোদীজি? (What is the crime of this mother Modiji?)#ModiHataoDeshBachao#ShameOnModi#ModiResignOrRepeal“. Archived here
FactO Check:
A reverse image search of the viral image directed us to a tweet by ANI. ANI Uttar Pradesh on April 6, 2018 shared a news report and said, “Man allegedly made to wait for an ambulance at Agra Medical College, while carrying oxygen cylinder attached to his mother, on his shoulder. Authorities say, ‘During patients’ shifting ward boy asked him to wait for a while, that is when media took photos. Will act if lapses found”
Man allegedly made to wait for ambulance at #Agra Medical College, while carrying oxygen cylinder attached to his mother, on his shoulder. Authorities say, 'During patients' shifting ward boy asked him to wait for a while, that is when media took photos. Will act if lapses found' pic.twitter.com/F4Bl6O7vgK
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 6, 2018
On April 7, 2018, TOI uploaded the news report on YouTube with a caption, “Agra: Man awaits ambulance while carrying mother’s oxygen cylinders on shoulder”. According to the report, in S.N Medical college, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, an elderly woman was waiting for the ambulance with a oxygen mask while her son is holding the cylinder on his shoulder. The hospital staff replied to the incident saying that during shifting wards the patient was asked to wait for a while and that is when the media took photos.
Conclusion: The woman in the photo with the oxygen mask is from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, 2018. So the claim that it is recent is misleading and false.