New Delhi: A total of 3,029 verified transgender persons have been included under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) since August 2022, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Lok Sabha on Friday (August 2). Mr Nadda said an MoU has been signed between the National Health Authority and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to extend the benefits of the national health insurance scheme to transgender persons.
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The benefits are being extended under the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise sub-scheme of the Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons, the minister said in response to a question.
These beneficiaries get cashless healthcare services according to the Health Benefit Package 2022, Mr Nadda said.
While responding to a question he said,
The procedure related to gender affirmation surgery is not available under the National Health Benefit Package master of AB-PMJAY. Therefore, no beneficiary has undertaken this treatment under the scheme.
These beneficiaries are eligible for additional transgender-specific treatments under the scheme.
Gender affirmation surgeries and other transgender-specific medical treatments are offered at the Safdarjung Hospital and the Dr RML Hospital in Delhi, Mr Nadda said.
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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
