The Gauhati High Court was recently informed by the Health and Family Welfare Department that eligible AADHAAR-linked NFSA transgender persons would be able to avail the medical and surgical benefits under the proposed Transgender Swasthya Suraksha scheme, once it is launched by the government of India. The two-judge bench of Chief Justice (Acting) Lanusungkum Jamir and Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair said this in connection with a PIL (Case no. 74/2018) filed by transgender activist and lawyer Swati Bidhan Baruah regarding the eligibility of transgender persons to avail benefits under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme, a Central Government Health Assurance Scheme.
The bench made the observation based on the submission by D. P. Borah, the standing counsel of the Health and Family Welfare Department, during which he produced a letter written by the Chief Executive Officer, Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society, containing certain instructions that AB-PMJAY provides cashless medical benefits up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year in empaneled hospitals to AADHAAR-linked National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries as per defined medical and surgical packages under the Scheme.
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