Actor’s Pic Shared as Doctor Who Succumbed to COVID-19 in Gujarat

While Dr Vidhi has indeed succumbed to COVID-19 in Gujarat, however, the image shows actor Samskruthy Shenoy.

An unrelated image is being shared to claim that Dr Vidhi, a gynaecologist from Gujarat, has succumbed to coronavirus.

It is true that Dr Vidhi, a gynaecologist from Ahmedabad, has indeed succumbed to COVID-19, however, the viral image shows south Indian actor Samskruthy Shenoy.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday, 16 September, revealed that at least 382 doctors have died of COVID-19.

CLAIM

A part of the viral message reads: “Sad news from GUJRAT, RIP CORONA WARRIOR, Very Shocking !! We lost a young gem Dr Vidhi Gynecologist, from Ahmedabad Succumbed to Covid 19 Great loss to the family. (sic)”

Several social media users have shared the image on Facebook with the same claim.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

We came across a Facebook post by actor Samskruthy Shenoy who said that social media users are falsely sharing her image to claim that Dr Vidhi from Gujarat has succumbed to COVID.

“This is me, Samskruthy Shenoy Samy, aged 22, from Kochi. Some miscreants are spreading this photograph as that of a Corona warrior Dr Vidhi from Gujarat, who succumbed to COVID-19. It is kind of viral on Facebook and WhatsApp,” she wrote.

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Further, we also found that the actor had uploaded the same image in 2016.

ABOUT DR VIDHI WHO SUCCUMBED TO COVID-19

We searched on Facebook using keywords, “Dr Vidhi Ahmedabad Gynaecologist” and found a post by an NGO, called Indian Medical Students’ Organisation (IMSO), which mentioned that Dr Vidhi had succumbed to coronavirus.

The post, dated 9 September, had the same text as that of viral posts and attributed the information to Dr Subham Kumari of the IMSO. The post also carries the image of Dr Vidhi in a PPE kit.

Speaking to The Quint, Dr Kumari, member of IMSO and Dr Vidhi’s friend, said that she was from Ahmedabad and was practising as a senior resident.

“The photo uploaded by IMSO is an authentic image of Dr Vidhi. I had provided the photo and information to the organisation. I have known Dr Vidhi for over 10 years now,” she added.

While it is true that Dr Vidhi from Ahmedabad indeed succumbed to COVID-19, however, the image being used on social media is of actor Samskruthy Shenoy.

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