India to hire ex-army medics as COVID surge sparks lockdown calls

India will recruit hundreds of ex-army medics to support its overwhelmed healthcare system amid record cases and deaths.

India will recruit hundreds of former army medics to support its overwhelmed healthcare system, the defence ministry said, as the country grapples with record COVID-19 infections and deaths amid calls for a complete nationwide lockdown. Some 400 medical officers are expected to serve on contract for a maximum of 11 months, the ministry said in a news release on Sunday, adding that other military doctors had also been contacted for online consultations. COVID-19 cases and deaths have been hitting records every two or three days. Deaths rose by more than 4,000 for a second consecutive day on Sunday.