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India's Covid crisis: Rural hospitals unable to cope as virus spreads

As people move from lockdowns in India's big cities to rural areas, Covid-19 continues to spread.

But rundown local hospitals and health centres are unable to cope with a crisis that they were never equipped for.

BBC India correspondent Yogita Limaye has been inside one to uncover the conditions that patients are facing.

7 May 2021

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World's tallest woman and shortest woman standing next to each other

Moment world's tallest woman and shortest woman meet

Ratan Tata interview to the BBC from 1997

From the archives: Ratan Tata's interview from 1997

Ratan Tata

India's Ratan Tata: in his own words

Building collapses into flooded river in India

Watch: Building collapses into river in India

Kanailal Hait, an elderly Indian man who survived the 1943 Bengal famine, wearing a white kurta and yellow scarf

'We survived a brutal famine in British India'

Split screen of protest and protest participant

Kolkata night protest: 'Today I witnessed history'

Women protesting, holding flags and candles

Watch: Thousands of women protest about rape and murder of doctor in India

Building collapsing into river

Watch: Moment building collapses into river in India

Boris & Carrie Johnson

Former PMs, film and sports stars join Ambani wedding

Nita Ambani celebrates her son Anant Ambani's wedding

Lavish Ambani wedding divides opinions in India

Family members share grief and pain after deadly India crush

WATCH: Families mourn victims of deadly India crush

The injured were taken to local hospitals

WATCH: Distress as dozens die in India stampede

Delhi airport roof collapses due to heavy rain

Watch: Delhi airport roof collapses due to heavy rain

Women voters

Arrests, accusations and AI: India’s election unpacked

Varanasi residents

Varanasi: The ancient city at the heart of India’s election

Gaming arcade in Rajkot engulfed in fire

Watch: Smoke and flames at deadly India arcade fire

Grace Banu

Indian activist Grace Banu wants more rights for the transgender community

Apsara Reddy

Trans politician Apsara Reddy on LGBTQ representation in Indian politics

Cutout masks of Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee

The many colours of India’s election campaigns

Modi at a roadshow

Modi holds roadshow in Varanasi

PM Modi snorkeling

Modi snorkels in Lakshadweep

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the island in January 2024.

PM Modi at the Ram temple in Ayodhya

Modi inaugurates Ram temple in Ayodhya

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated a grand Hindu temple to Lord Ram in Ayodhya in January.

BBC reporter speaks to Donald Trump via AI

India election: BBC journalist gets a call from AI-generated Trump

The BBC got to see just how easy it is to create a fake phone call between two people.

A mother and daughter in Vizag

An Indian family living on welfare

A family in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh shares its experience of living on government welfare schemes.

Women attending a welfare camp in Kolkata

India: 'Welfare at your doorstep'

More than 100 people turn up at a welfare camp in West Bengal state to apply for government benefits.

A couple in Bhopal in their mud house

India: A house for Mr Bhallavi

A construction worker in the state of Madhya Pradesh is a beneficiary of India's rural housing scheme.

Influencers

The challenges of making political videos

YouTuber Sham Sharma talks about the positives and perils of sharing his views online.

Juhapura, Gujarat's biggest Muslim ghetto

No roads, no streetlights: ‘We lack basic facilities’

Gujarat's biggest Muslim ghetto is located in Indian Home Minister’s Amit Shah’s constituency.

Children in a school

India home minister’s first school

The first school Indian Home Minister Amit Shah attended was in his in hometown Mansa in Gujarat.

Amit Shah's ancestral home

‘Amit Shah and I played cricket and marbles here’

The BBC visited the Indian home minister's ancestral home in the town of Mansa in Gujarat state.

Students in a coaching institute

Patna: A transformative journey for young Indian Muslims

This school provides free coaching to more than 800 boys and girls from all over the country.

A Muslim boy in a sweet shop

Agra: Indian Muslims talk about 'changing times'

In the historic city of Agra in northern India, Muslims worry about about how “society has changed”.

Young Indians who applied for jobs in Israel

The young Indians applying for jobs in Israel

A job crisis in India is forcing thousands of young men to move to conflict-torn Israel in search of work.

Underwater metro in Kolkata

Watch: India's first underwater metro in Kolkata

Take a look at India's first underwater metro in the eastern city of Kolkata.

Why the India election matters

The Indian election matters for the world. Here’s why

Nearly a billion people are eligible to vote in India’s national election, which is set to begin on 19 April.

Toddler rescue

Moment a toddler is pulled out from a borewell in India

The two-year-old boy was trapped inside the borewell for 20 hours before he was rescued by authorities.

Forest officials have tranquillised and rescued the leopard.

Watch: Indian boy calmly traps wandering leopard

The leopard was later tranquillised and rescued by wildlife officials in Maharashtra state.

Freight train driving through station

Watch: Runaway India train speeds past station without driver

Indian Railways has ordered an investigation after a train travelled 70km without a driver.

Thousands of Indian farmers are marching to the national capital Delhi, demanding a law that assures a fair price for their crops.

Watch: Delhi's borders sealed as farmers set to resume march

Delhi has been fortified with barricades and barbed wires as protesting farmers refuse to halt their march.

Protesting farmers running away from police tear gas in India

Farmers' protests: Indian police fire tear gas at protesters

Thousands of farmers are marching from neighbouring states to Delhi demanding assured prices for their crops.