The central authorities on Wednesday mentioned that beneath the Ayushman Bharat scheme, transgender individuals will get medical health insurance of Rs 5 lakh yearly. The insurance coverage coverage may also cowl intercourse reassignment surgical procedure.
The National Health Authority beneath the Ministry of Health signed an MoU on the scheme with the Ministry of Social Justice on Wednesday.
“The cover of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat scheme is for the entire family. But we have changed the definition of family to provide total annual coverage to transgender persons,” mentioned Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya calling the scheme a historic step.
According to officers, well being playing cards issued to trans individuals is not going to cowl their members of the family.
More hospitals can be empaneled to conduct intercourse reassignment surgical procedure. Signing the MoU, the Minister additionally mentioned that provisions are being made to offer companies in AIIMS and different hospitals.
The Health Minister mentioned that 4.8 lakh transgender individuals in India can be eligible for advantages beneath this scheme. “The Ministry of Social Justice has a database of 4.8 lakh transgender individuals. It can be added to the Ayushman Bharat database and they’ll be capable of benefit from it.
Those who should not already coated can add their names within the database of Ministry of Social Justice or can use their Aadhar card together with their gender to avail the advantages of the scheme.
“All transgender persons in this scheme are not getting such benefits from other centrally/state sponsored schemes,” a well being ministry assertion mentioned. The assertion additionally mentioned that the profit can be given to these holding a transgender certificates issued by the National Portal for Transgender Persons. According to the net portal, solely 8,000 certificates have been issued to this point.
Dr Aqsa Shaikh, medical skilled and transgender activist, mentioned: “The determine of 4.8 lakh is as per the 2011 census and solely 2 per cent of this quantity has been licensed by the social justice ministry to this point. However, even (if) others are capable of get their playing cards, the problem is that intercourse reassignment surgical procedure is just not provided by many establishments, and there are only a few educated plastic surgeons within the nation. “
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
