India, May 8 -- New Delhi

Stretchers lined entrances as instructors bellowed out the operating procedures through loudspeakers and staffers moved with urgency at Delhi's hospitals on Wednesday afternoon, as they took part in the nationwide mock drill exercise to test their preparedness for large-scale emergencies.

At 4pm sharp, chaotic scenes enveloped the approach roads of Delhi's hospitals, including Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital, as ambulances started lining up and medical professionals scampered to treat the heavy influx of patients, as the order from the ministry of home affairs called on hospitals to strengthen response to "new and complex" threats.

Ambulances and vehicles carrying patients started en...