Even as hospitals grapple with shortage of doctors and para medical staff, one section of the medical community is finding no room for their skill. Since the lockdown was announced in March, many private hospitals in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik have put physiotherapy services on hold, and despite restrictions being lifted, the cloud of uncertainty continues to loom over physiotherapists, with many fearing pay cuts and job loss.

Dr (PT) Manasi Pawar, 34, a physiotherapist attached to a Pune hospital, shares, "Following the outbreak, we were sent a message, asking not to report to hospital till the lockdown is relaxed. Now, when the lockdown has been lifted, the hospital has sent another message, asking us to take a break till things normalise." Pawar, who has been in the industry for over 11 years and has been associated with the hospital for almost eight years, has been forced to dip into her savings, to get by.