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Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Wednesday had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Authority (NHA) for providing a comprehensive medical package to transgender persons under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, said a press release.
MoU was signed by secretary R. Subrahmanyam, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and R.S. Sharma Chief executive officer National Health Authority, under the Ministry of Health and family welfare in the presence of Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment and Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare. On this occasion, Union Minister Virendra Kumar said that this joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Empowerment is the first of its kind in the country and will not only give a new direction to our society but also provide transgender persons rightful and respectable place in the society. The Minister said that under this medical health package, a special "Ayushman Bharat TG Plus" card is being provided for the transgender society by linking the SMILE scheme with the "Ayushman Bharat Scheme" of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, under which more than 50 health facilities are being provided. Benefits will be given free of cost. Going a step further for the Transgender society, provision has been made for cosmetic surgery under this card. India will be the first country in the world to provide free-of-cost facilities like cosmetic surgery to the transgender community under a government scheme. Simultaneously, a person belonging to a transgender society from any state, or any part of India will be able to take advantage of this card in any hospital affiliated with Ayushman Bharat. Mandaviya said that today's MoU between the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) will extend all healthcare benefits to transgender persons (holding a transgender certificate issued by the National Portal for transgender persons) across the country. MoSJE will fund Rs.5 lakh insurance cover per transgender beneficiary per annum. A comprehensive package master is being prepared for the transgender category including the existing AB PM-JAY packages and specific packages (Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) and treatment) for transgenders. They will be eligible to seek treatment in any of the AB PM-JAY empanelled hospitals across the country, where specific packages are available. The scheme would cover all transgender persons not receiving such benefits from other centres/state-sponsored schemes. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is providing identity cards to the people of the transgender society by registering them at the central level, provision of scholarship has been made, transgender protection cells are being set up, skill development programs are being done as well as provision has also been made for the Transgender society for a "comprehensive medical health package". Senior officials from both two ministries and members of the transgender community were also present at the event. (ANI)
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