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Recently in Guwahati, the Gauhati High Court got some important news about a health scheme for transgender people. The Health and Family Welfare Department said that transgender people who are part of the NFSA and have an Aadhaar card can soon use a new health scheme. This scheme, called AB-PMJAY-SMILE Transgender Swasthya Suraksha, is not started yet, but when it does, it will give up to Rs. 5 lakh of free medical help per year. The court learned this during a case filed by Swati Bidhan Baruah, a transgender activist and lawyer. She wanted to make sure transgender people could use the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) health scheme. This scheme helps families get free medical care worth up to Rs. 5 lakh every year. The lawyer for the Health Department, D.P. Borah, shared a letter saying that transgender people with Aadhaar and NFSA can get these benefits.
He also talked about a special plan for transgender people under AB-PMJAY-SMILE. This plan will cover many medical treatments, including surgeries for gender change, and has identified 149 hospitals for these surgeries. Gauhati Medical College & Hospital is one of these hospitals. Once the scheme starts, transgender people with a certificate from the National Portal for Transgender Persons can use it. The court is waiting to hear more from the government on this matter and will check again in two weeks. This case started because some transgender people at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital couldn't get AB-PMJAY benefits since they didn't have ration cards. The court wants to make sure the hospital follows the laws that protect transgender people's rights.
