New Delhi, Apr 17 (IANS): Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday held a video conference with Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal and hospitals here and directed the city to ensure sufficient blood stock for transfusion.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Medical Superintendents of major Central and State Government Hospitals and Municipal Commissioners of Delhi were also part of the meeting.

The Union Health Ministry in a statement said Harsh Vardhan congratulated the Delhi health team for managing and keeping the situation under control in the fight against coronavirus.

"But we should not neglect the emergency and other patients in these testing times," said the Union Minister.

He said he received a lot of complaints regarding the denial of treatment to patients suffering from critical ailments other then COVID-19.

He was referring to patients requiring dialysis, those suffering from respiratory or heart disease and those who require blood transfusion and pregnant mothers.

"We need to take a serious view against this denial of treatment to patients who have been visiting hospitals in case of emergency and are being forced to visit a number of hospitals, one after another, resulting in denial of immediate medical attention which may result in loss of their lives," he said.

The Union Minister instructed all the MSs of the hospitals to take proper care of non-COVID patients just like the COVID-19 patients.

"It is a testing time for everybody in lockdown; patients who are really ill and require urgent medical attention are venturing out with great difficulty to reach the hospital for treatment in this situation. We should not turn them away on any kind of flimsy pretexts as certain procedures like blood transfusion, dialysis etc can't wait," he added.

The Minister said apart from the dedicated COVID hospitals, remaining hospitals are supposed to take care of non-COVID patients who have been visiting hospitals with a hope of getting due treatment.

The Delhi government on Wednesday had issued an order announcing that COVID-negative reports are not necessary for a patient going for emergency treatment at the nursing homes and private hospitals in the city, warning the health providers of strict action on any such demand.

The Delhi Directorate General of Health Services issued the order warning the nursing homes and private hospitals that if they denied emergent medical care, including dialysis to a serious patient on the pretext that they have to carry a COVID-19 negative report, they can even face registration cancellation.

The Union Health Minister urged the hospitals to respond to non-COVID patients with compassion and care as they are already going through severe hardships during lockdown.

Harsh Vardhan exhorted the hospitals to keep sufficient blood stock for transfusion by promoting voluntary blood donors and utilising various services like mobile blood collection vans with the help of Indian Red Cross Society.

In addition to this, the Union Minister asked the Indian Red Cross Society to send such mobile blood collection vans to the premises of regular blood donors to facilitate them to come forward for blood donation which is a noble deed at this point of time.