The narrow lanes of Bhiwandi, known to be buzzing with feverish activity, suddenly wore a deserted look. Once the Manchester of India, this city of power loom industries, had fallen silent. It was a little over a month since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24, setting in motion India's fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. "There was not a single autorickshaw parked in the alleys of Gayatri Nagar. My due date was fast-approaching; I would be lying if I say I wasn't nervous. While this was going to be my fifth baby, I had never delivered at home," says 28-year-old Yasmeen Shah (name changed to protect identity).

She recalls the wee hours of April 29, when she went into labour. "A few days earlier, we had been informed that the only government hospital [Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital] in Bhiwandi area had been shut after a patient tested positive for COVID-19. Finding transport to go to any other hospital was tough, as the city was in curfew. So, a dai [an uncertified, traditional birth attendant] was called in." A baby boy was born at 10.15 am, with no trained medical professional in sight to immunise him.