New Delhi: As India is in the midst of a ferocious second Covid-19 wave, hundreds of patients across the country have died due to lack of oxygen supply. With people scrambling to secure oxygen cylinders for their near and dear ones, a video recently went viral wherein Dr Alok from Faridabad’s Sarvoday Hospital claimed that an empty nebuliser can improve the level of blood oxygen. In the video, he shows how one can assemble a nebuliser, and adds, “there is no need to add any medicine”.

Notably, nebulisers are devices that turn medicine into fine mist that is then breathed in through a mask.

“I am showing you a trick. You can do this. This is the nebuliser. This is the machine where we put the medicine. But don’t use any medicine. Use the empty nebuliser. Sit down. Put it on your nose and switch on the machine. There is enough oxygen in the environment. Don’t rush after oxygen cylinders. Don’t put your life at stake. Stay at home. Thank you,’ Dr Alok can be seen saying in the video.

FACT CHECK: The video is misleading, healthcare experts claim

As the video went viral, many healthcare experts called out the misleading claims propagated in the video and warned that there is no scientific base in Dr Alok’s affirmation. Sarvodaya Hospital also said the video is misleading, unscientific and clarified that it does not endorse the information given by ‘Dr Alok’. In its clarification, the hospital said, “The video has not been backed by any evidence or scientific study, does not reflect any medical advice, and is in no way endorsed by Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad.”

Debunking the claims, Sarvodaya Hospital also tweeted, ”Always consult a medical practitioner before following any #medication practice, especially for #treatment of severe conditions. Do not fall prey to any information without an authorized source.”

Later, Dr Arvinder Singh Soin, chairman of the Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta, also slammed the video calling it baselesss.

Meanwhile, Dr Alok himself clarified that his message went wrong and said nebuliser is not an alternative to oxygen cylinders. He informed that he had sent the video to a person who’s completely stable, and was just trying to explain how to use a nebulizer.

“Hi, I am Dr Alok. A video of me went viral yesterday which says nebuliser is an alternative to an oxygen cylinder. This is not true. I am repeating myself this is not true. Probably I wanted to say something else and couldn’t frame it properly. With folded hands, I am telling you nebuliser is not an alternative to an oxygen cylinder. I wanted to give some other message. Take care. Thank you,” he said in another video, available on social media.

Watch the video here:

(Disclaimer: We urge our readers to follow only verified and authentic information and not fall prey to fake or misleading claims. Please cross-check the information with your doctor and not try self-treatment without professional supervision.)