New Delhi, Apr 30 (IANS): Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday directed all states and Union Territories to ensure uninterrupted blood donation and transfusion services for people with blood disorders and advised all health facilities to remain functional and provide critical services to non-Covid patients.

In a letter to his counterparts in in states and Union Territories, he asked them to ensure that non-COVID health services were available.

In the letter, states were also told that denial of critical services like dialysis, blood transfusion, chemotherapy and institutional deliveries to regular patients will not be acceptable.

States and Union Territories are advised that as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, all health services should remain functional during the lockdown period. The movement of service providers may be facilitated, especially for those working in the private sector.

The Health Ministers are also advised to ensure quick resolution of grievances on denial of critical services especially on account of insistence on testing.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in the country mounted to 33,610 with 1,075 deaths, while the total recovery rate rose to 25.19 per cent