The National Health Authority (NHA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deliver an inclusive and comprehensive health package for transgender people under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

Highlights

The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Ministers Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, MoHFW, and Dr. Virendra Kumar, MoSJE, at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi by Dr. R S Sharma, CEO, NHA and R. Subramanyam, Secretary, DoSJE.

Key Features of MoU

  • This MOU lays the foundation for a transformative social change that will provide specific healthcare benefits to the transgender community under AB-PMJAY in addition to ensuring equality for the disadvantaged community.
  • According to the MoU, transgender people in India who possess a transgender certificate from the National Portal for Transgender Persons will be eligible for all healthcare benefits.
  • The MoSJE will annually fund a Rs. 5 lakh insurance policy for each transgender beneficiary.
  • A comprehensive package master is being developed for the transgender category, which will include the existing AB-PMJAY packages as well as transgender-specific packages (Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) and treatment).
  • They would be able to get treatment in any of the AB-PMJAY empanelled hospitals across India that offer special packages.
  • The scheme would apply to all transgender people who do not currently get benefits from existing centre/state sponsored schemes.

Measures Taken by The Gol

The Government of India (Gol) is dedicated to Antyodaya, a concept whereby the last recipient of a service receives the rewards of a government’s policies and actions.
The MoSJE has taken various measures in this regard for the transgender community, including “The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019,” GarimaGreh, and PM Daksh.
It covers five assurances: Access to education, Life with dignity, Health support, Opportunities for livelihood and Skill Enhancement,

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