On March 24, 2020, India announced its first COVID-19 lockdown, at a time when the world was on the brink of a global pandemic that would claim millions of lives. India's already fragile healthcare system buckled under the immense pressure of this pandemic. The situation highlighted the urgent need for global cooperation in addressing such health crises.
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03-30, 2025The World Health Organization estimated that more than 4.7 million people died from COVID in India, almost 10 times the official figures. However, the Indian government rejected this number, citing methodological flaws. Five years later, BBC India reporters look back on their experiences, recounting how they became part of the stories they were reporting at times. These personal accounts offer a poignant reminder of the pandemic's devastating impact.
Soutik Biswas of BBC News recalled receiving a call for help from a teacher in the summer of 2021, whose husband was battling COVID in a Delhi hospital where oxygen was scarce. India was being ravaged by a deadly second wave of infections, and Delhi was at the epicenter. They scrambled for help, making calls and sending out SOS messages, hoping to find a lead. Eventually, they found an oxygen flow meter, but it was only a small victory in the face of desperation. The scarcity of resources underscored the immense challenges faced by healthcare providers during the peak of the crisis.
Yogita Limaye described the unforgettable cries of a woman outside Delhi's GTB Hospital, shaking her unconscious brother lying on a stretcher. Minutes later, her brother, a father of two, died outside the hospital while waiting for medical attention. The second wave of COVID-19, which began in March 2021, brought India to its knees, with many people coping with the pandemic alone, frantically searching for beds and oxygen. This tragedy exemplified the immense suffering and loss experienced by countless families.
Vikas Pandey shared the story of Altuf Shamsi, whom he reported on in 2021, whose pregnant wife and father were both infected with the virus and admitted to different hospitals in Delhi. Shamsi first lost his father, and days later, he also lost his wife after she gave birth to their daughter. Pandey also recalled a relative whose condition deteriorated rapidly, with doctors suggesting an experimental drug. Ultimately, with the help of a kind doctor, the relative survived, but one of his cousins was not so lucky, dying due to oxygen depletion in the hospital. Pandey still wonders if there was anything more he could have done. The emotional toll of reporting on such devastating stories remains with journalists long after the events unfold.
Geeta Pandey recalled going to Delhi's main bus station the day after Prime Minister Modi announced the total lockdown, only to find it deserted. For months, as the virus spread, tragedy lurked around every corner. Her last visit to her bedridden mother in the village was in January 2020, and her mother didn't really understand what COVID was. On January 16, 2021, India launched the world's largest vaccination campaign, and Pandey called her mother to tell her that she would get vaccinated and visit her as soon as possible, but a week later, her mother passed away. The pandemic prevented many from saying goodbye to their loved ones, adding to the grief and sorrow.
Anagha Pathak recounted her experience of traveling to the Maharashtra border a few days after India announced the lockdown to document the impact of the restrictions. On the empty Mumbai-Agra highway, she saw large numbers of migrant workers walking back to their villages. Among them was a young couple from Uttar Pradesh, with the wife pregnant, who had run out of food, water, and money. Pathak still wonders if the pregnant woman made it home safely. Did she survive? The plight of migrant workers during the lockdown highlighted the socio-economic disparities exacerbated by the pandemic.
