New Delhi: The Press Information Bureau recently debunked a false claim being forwarded on WhatsApp about a helpline number for blood requirements. The WhatsApp forward claimed that the Government of India has launched a pan-India helpline number 104 titled "Blood on Call" for people who require blood for medical procedures. However, the PIB's Fact Check Twitter handle has refuted the claim and called it false. 


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On March 7, PIB Fact Check shared a screenshot of the WhatsApp message and alerted people about it. PIB said the claim is completely misleading as the government has not started any such service. Moreover, it said, this number is used in some other states for various helpline services.



According to several fact-checking websites, it was discovered that the service was being presented as a pan-India service when in actuality it was reportedly introduced in Maharashtra in January 2014. 


People often share misleading claims on WhatsApp, Facebook, etc and users must be alert when receiving information related to serious matters on a social media platform.


The PIB Fact Check, on Twitter, often debunks false claims that gain traction on social media and inform people about the truth. On Thursday (March 9), a day after women's day, the agency said that there is a youtube channel named 'Yojna 4u' which has claimed that the Central government is providing a cash amount of Rs 10,000 to all female pan card holders. This has been refuted by the agency as totally untrue.


Before that, the agency debunked a claim which was disguised as an RBI order which claimed that the exchange facility for Indian demonetized currency notes for foreign citizens has been extended. The PIB said that this is completely false as the deadline for the same ended in 2017.