New Delhi: The Union Government on Tuesday asked State Governments to ensure the hospitals kept functioning and also did not insist on Covid- 19 tests for every patient need medical care.

The Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said in a letter to State Chief Secretaries that the Central Government had received reports that many private hospitals were hesitating to provide critical services such as dialysis, blood transfusion, chemotherapy and institutional deliveries even to their regular patients either due to fear of the staff contracting Covid- 19 or because they were not functioning. For patients who need these critical services, it must be ensured all health facilities especially those in private sector, continue to be functional.

So that such patients do not face any hardship, she said. On hospitals insisting on Covid- 19 tests before providing services, she added. Health care providers maybe advised to take necessary precautions for the personal protection. Preeti Sudan’s letter referred to guidelines issued to States on April 20^th which said there shouldn’t be disruption in essential services such as reproductive and child health care, immunization, treatment of cancer and kidney ailments.