Ayushman Bharat for Transgender Persons

Probable Question

Inclusive policy making is the key for all round development of all the citizens of the country including transgenders. Comment. 

Context

 Recently, a MoU was signed between National Health Authority (NHA) and Family Welfare and Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide an inclusive and composite health package for Transgender Persons under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY.

About Health Package for Transgender Persons under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY

• The MOU has laid the foundation for a landmark transformational reform in the society.
• It will provide special healthcare benefits to the Transgender Community goes beyond ensuring equality for the disadvantaged community.
• It will extend all healthcare benefits to transgender persons across the country.
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) will fund Rs.5 lakh insurance cover per transgender beneficiary per annum.
• A comprehensive package master is being prepared for 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 centre/state sponsored schemes.
• Steps are being taken by MoSJE for implementing a package of five assurances: Education, Life with dignity, Health support, Opportunities for livelihood and Skill Enhancement.

Related: Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

About Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY

• Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is the flagship scheme of Government of India that provides a cover of up to Rs. 5 lacs per family per year.
• It is for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries).
• PM-JAY provides cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.
• Under this scheme there are 1,393 health benefit packages with defined rates.
• Over 15,223 hospitals and health care providers have been empanelled across the country to provide healthcare services as per these packages.
• This scheme led to increased access to quality health and medication, timely treatments, improvements in health outcomes, patient satisfaction, improvement in productivity and efficiency, job creation thus leading to improvement in the quality of life.

Transgender Persons

• The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 defines a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth. 
• It includes trans-men and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities, such as kinnar and hijra. 
• Intersex variations is defined to mean a person who at birth shows variation in his or her primary sexual characteristics, external genitalia, chromosomes, or hormones from the normative standard of male or female body.

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 19, 2019 by the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment.

• Prohibition against discrimination: The Bill prohibits the discrimination against a transgender person, including denial of service or unfair treatment in relation to:
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Healthcare
  • Access to, or enjoyment of goods, facilities, opportunities available to the public
  • Right to movement
  • Right to reside, rent, or otherwise occupy property
  • Opportunity to hold public or private office
  • Access to a government or private establishment in whose care or custody a transgender person is.
• Right of residence: Every transgender person shall have a right to reside and be included in his household. 

• Employment: No government or private entity can discriminate against a transgender person in employment matters, including recruitment, and promotion. 
• Education: Educational institutions funded or recognised by the relevant government shall provide inclusive education, sports and recreational facilities for transgender persons, without discrimination.
• Health care: The government must take steps to provide health facilities to transgender persons including separate HIV surveillance centres, and sex reassignment surgeries. 
• Certificate of identity for a transgender person
  • A transgender person may make an application to the District Magistrate for a certificate of identity, indicating the gender as ‘transgender’. 
  • A revised certificate may be obtained only if the individual undergoes surgery to change their gender either as a male or a female.
• Welfare measures by the government: 
  • The Bill states that the relevant government will take measures to ensure the full inclusion and participation of transgender persons in society. 
  • It must also take steps for their rescue and rehabilitation, vocational training and self-employment, create schemes that are transgender sensitive, and promote their participation in cultural activities.
• Offenses and Penalties: The Bill recognizes the following offences against transgender persons

• Forced or bonded labor
• Denial of use of public places
• Removal from household, and village
• Physical, sexual, verbal, emotional or economic abuse. 
• Penalties for these offenses vary between six months and two years, and a fine. 

News Source:

Source 1: PIB

Source 2: PMJAY

Source 3: PRS INDIA

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