Ayushman Bharat: Govt. Submits No Bar On Admitting Transgender In Govt. Hospitals [Read Order]

In the petition challenging the Central government's National Health Protection Scheme, popularly known as "Ayushman Bharat", the government submitted that Government hospitals will not deny admission to any member belonging to the transgender community.

The petition moved in public interest by Assam's first transgender judge, Swati Bidhan Baruah, contended that Government hospitals were denying admission to members of the transgender community. Taking serious note of the matter, a division bench of the Gauhati High Court comprised by Acting Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami and Justice Manish Choudhury, asked the Standing Counsel for Health & Family Welfare to file its reply.

Accordingly, Advocate D.P. Borah, Standing Counsel for Health & Family Welfare submitted that it was a policy of Gauhati Medical College Hospital to treat emergency patients belonging to any gender, caste or community and, therefore, there was no question of denying admission to any member belonging to the transgender community.

"Government hospitals will not deny admission to any member belonging to the transgender community", he further submitted.

The Assistant Solicitor General of India, S.C. Keyal, was also present during the proceedings and sought ten days' time to file an affidavit in this behalf. The matter was hence posted for September 30. 

Click here to download the Order