Gujarat ST Health Scheme

Why Gujarat ST Health Scheme Introduced

Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities often face greater barriers in order to access quality healthcare, particularly in remote and economically disadvantaged areas. Limited access to healthcare facilities, financial constraints, and the high cost of specialised treatment can make advanced medical care difficult to afford.

To bridge this gap, the Gujarat Government introduced the Gujarat ST Health Scheme officially known as “Scheme to Provide Assistance for Organ Transplants of Kidney, Liver, Heart, Pancreas, etc., and for Operations Including Robotic Surgeries for Patients Belonging to the Scheduled Tribe Community of the State.” It aims to reduce the financial burden on economically weaker Scheduled Tribe families requiring costly medical treatment. While beneficiaries may receive assistance under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY or Gujarat’s Mukhyamantri Amrutam (MA) Scheme, these benefits may not fully cover the costs of high-cost procedures. The new scheme aims to provide additional financial assistance for the remaining treatment expenses, particularly for organ transplants and robotic surgeries.

Gujarat ST Health Scheme – Key Highlights

Who Is Eligible for This Scheme

• ST Community: The patient should be from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community of Gujarat.
• Eligible Treatment: The patient needs to have a serious illness that requires an organ transplant (kidney, liver, heart, pancreas, etc.) or robotic-assisted surgery.
• Prior Scheme Benefits: The patient must have already claimed benefits under PM-JAY or the MA Card. This scheme covers the eligible treatment cost remaining after these benefits are deducted.
• Organ Donor: The donor may come from any community, but the scheme provides financial assistance only for the ST recipients.

Benefits under the Gujarat ST Health Scheme

• Organ Transplant Assistance: Financial assistance for kidney, liver, heart, pancreas, and other eligible organ transplants.
• Robotic Surgery Assistance: Financial assistance for robotic-assisted surgeries for serious illnesses.
• Additional Financial Support: Covers the remaining eligible treatment expenses after benefits under PM-JAY or MA Card have been applied, supplementing rather than duplicating these schemes.

What is Not Covered Under the ST Health Scheme

• Expenses already covered: The scheme will not pay if expenses have been covered by PM-JAY or MA Card. All these benefits are deducted from the eligible amount.
• School-Going Children: Those children who are covered under the School Health Programme in Gujarat are not covered separately under this scheme.
• Other Treatments: Treatments and procedures other than eligible organ transplants and robotic surgeries are not covered.
• Budget Limitation: The scheme has a total budget of ₹2 crore for the Financial Year 2026–27, which may limit the number of patients who can receive assistance.

How to Apply for the Scheme

Step 1: Confirm if You Have Already Claimed PM-JAY or MA Card Benefits

Since the scheme covers the remaining cost after existing benefits are applied, first ensure that you have already claimed the benefits available under PM-JAY or Gujarat’s Mukhyamantri Amrutam (MA) Scheme for the required procedure.

Step 2: Complete the Online Application

The government has announced it will go 100% online throughout. All the details of the Gujarat ST Health Scheme have to be filled in the application form at the official portal.

Step 3: Application Reviewed by IKDRC, Ahmedabad

The Applications will be examined by IKDRC – a nodal agency for facilitating treatment approvals.

Step 4: Approval and Documentation Check

Complete the application form and upload the required documents. The application will then be reviewed and verified by the concerned authorities before approval.

Step 5: Disbursal Through DBT or CM Dashboard Portal

After approval of the financial assistance, it will be released through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) or the CM Dashboard Portal at a frequency defined by the government.

Documents Likely to Be Required

• ST Certificate: certificate showing Scheduled Tribe status.
• Gujarat Residence/Domicile Proof: This is to prove that you are a resident of Gujarat.
• Aadhaar Card: For verification of identity and for DBT.
• PM-JAY/MA Card: Information about the prevailing health scheme benefit availed.
• Medical Reports: Doctor's report confirming serious illness and organ transplant and/or robotic surgery.
• Treatment/Cost Estimate: Hospital documents with the estimated treatment cost and the remaining cost after PM-JAY or MA benefits are available.
• Bank Account Details: This is required for receiving assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) (if applicable)

What to Do If You Have Questions or a Grievance

• Contact IKDRC, Ahmedabad, as the designated nodal agency for treatment approvals and implementation.
• Contact the Tribal Development Department, Government of Gujarat: For scheme-related information, assistance, or grievances.

Gujarat ST Health Scheme and Other Health Schemes

• Mukhyamantri Amrutam (MA) Yojana: Provides cashless treatment for serious illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurological conditions and kidney-related diseases, to eligible economically vulnerable families. Benefits received through the MA Card are deducted before assistance under the ST scheme is calculated.
• Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: Provides cashless hospitalisation cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for eligible beneficiaries for secondary and tertiary care. Under the Gujarat ST scheme, eligible PM-JAY benefits are used first, with assistance considered for the remaining eligible cost.