50 patients in queue for a bed

Outside the trauma centre of King George’s Medical University in Lucknow is a triage area of sorts with around 20 beds and some basic medical equipment. This is where every Covid protocol in the book vanishes the minute a patient is wheeled in — there is no restriction on movement, no one is questioned or scanned for temperature, and social distancing is rendered meaningless. With 1,50,676 active cases, the second highest in the country, behind only Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh’s already frail health infrastructure is stretched further. Most hospitals in Lucknow are reporting acute shortage of ICU and ventilator beds.