Video of namaz being offered inside Gujarat hospital sparks row

A fresh controversy erupted in Vadodara after a video allegedly showing three individuals offering namaz inside the Outpatient Department (OPD) building of SSG Hospital went viral on social media.

VADODARA: A fresh controversy erupted in Vadodara after a video allegedly showing three individuals offering namaz inside the Outpatient Department (OPD) building of SSG Hospital went viral on social media, prompting the hospital administration to initiate an inquiry. Confirming the incident, SSG hospital superintendent Dr Ranjan Aiyer said the administration reviewed CCTV footage after the matter was brought to its notice by members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal. "The video is in circulation and we have examined the CCTV footage. The incident occurred on Monday evening on the ground floor of the OPD building. The individuals seen in the video appeared to be relatives of a patient and were peacefully offering prayers," Aiyer said. According to hospital authorities, the group is believed to have been accompanying a patient undergoing dialysis treatment. "They were finishing their prayer when someone recorded the video, which was later uploaded on social media," he said. Aiyer said representatives of the VHP and Bajrang Dal approached him on Tuesday morning and sought clarification on the incident. "They informed me about the prayer being offered at a public place and asked whether I was aware of it.

I told them that the matter was being looked into," he said. The superintendent, however, maintained that there was no disruption to hospital services. "They were not obstructing anything or causing any inconvenience to patients or visitors. As of now, we are only verifying the facts surrounding the incident," he added.