MoSJ and NHA to sign MoU to provide medical package for Transgender persons

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ), Government of India, will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Health Authority (NHA), on Wednesday, August 24, to provide a comprehensive medical package for the Transgender people.

The MoU will be signed at the Nalanda Auditorium, Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi in the presence of Dr Virendra Kumar, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India and Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India.   

This is a first of its kind initiative in the country that aims to enhance access of Transgender persons in India to quality healthcare facilities, thus giving them a respectable status in society. The beneficiaries should have relevant certificates and Identity Card issued by the National Portal of Transgender Persons. The scheme will cover all transgender persons not covered under any other central or state scheme.

Earlier with an aim to ensure the dignity of life of transgender persons by bringing them into the mainstream, the ministry had enacted the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

The MoSJ also launched the Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme, and one of its components, Composite Medical Health, aims to provide a Comprehensive Medical Package to transgender people in line with the principles of Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Under this initiative, a transgender person will get a medical cover of Rs 5 Lakh per annum and the cost will be completely refunded by the ministry under the SMILE scheme. Additionally, the entire process will be completely cashless.