Archive · 20 Jun 2025
Health Ministry Pushes for Liver and Heart Transplants Coverage
The Indian health ministry wants to make it easier for people to get liver and heart transplants by including them in the PMJAY health insurance plan.
This is because current insurance doesn't always cover these expensive procedures.
A recent report showed that there aren't enough organ transplants happening compared to how many are needed.
To fix this, experts suggest more money for hospitals, training for doctors, and possibly increasing the amount of money PMJAY covers.
This should help more people get the life-saving transplants they need.
Health ministry recommends inclusion of liver and heart transplants in PMJAY.
The recommendation stems from a report by the National Organ Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO).
The report highlights a significant gap between organ demand and supply in India.
Experts suggest increasing PMJAY coverage from ₹5 lakh to at least ₹10 lakh for transplant procedures.
Recommendations include financial incentives, infrastructure funding, and training programs.
- Who
- The Union Health Ministry, NOTTO, and medical experts.
- What
- Health ministry recommends including liver and heart transplants in PMJAY.
- When
- The recommendation comes in a report, and a recent review meeting was conducted.
- Where
- India, with specific mentions of Maharashtra, Delhi, and hospitals like Safdarjung and GB Pant Hospital.
- Why
- To improve organ transplant access and address the gap between demand and supply.
Support for Expanded Coverage
N/A
Accessibility of Transplant Procedures
Support for Expanded Coverage
Advocates believe that including liver and heart transplants in PMJAY will make the life-saving procedures more accessible to those in need.
N/A
N/A
- Scheme
- Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)
- Organisations Involved
- NOTTO
- Coverage per Family
- ₹5 lakh per year
- Proposed Coverage Increase
- To at least ₹10 lakh
- Transplants Performed in 2024
- 13,476 (across government and private centers)