New Delhi, April 28: Private hospitals and clinics should remain open during the ongoing nationwide lockdown, the central government told states on Tuesday. Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan wrote to chief secretaries and administrators of all states and union territories, stating that private hospitals and clinics to remain functional for patients who are not affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). Coronavirus Cases in India Near 30,000-Mark After 1,594 Tested Positive For COVID-19 in Past 24 Hours, Death Toll Climbs to 934.

The Centre also asked states and union territories to ensure that no patient should be denied any essential services like dialysis, blood transfusion etc. There have been reports when non-coronavirus patients were denied dialysis and blood transfusion because private hospitals remained shut. The closure of hospitals reportedly led to patients in some parts of the country. India's Coronavirus Recovery Rate Has Improved to 23.3%, Says Health Ministry; Doubling Rate of COVID-19 Cases Stands at 10.2 Days.

Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan's Letter:

India has reported 29,976 coronavirus cases so far. Of them, 22,010 cases are still active. The death toll has risen to 937, while 7026 patients have recovered till now. One patient had migrated to another country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2020 09:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).