Hospitals in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that have agreed to provide services under the Aasandha scheme have opened their services starting today. Patients will be sent to these hospitals for treatment under the same system currently used for overseas hospitals, as per Article 13(b) of the Husnuvaa Aasandha Scheme Regulation (Regulation No. 2015/R-19).
As referrals to Aasandha service centers in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) begin, priority will be given to patients requiring kidney transplants who have been unable to receive the procedure due to the lack of a “first-degree donor” (a family member willing to donate a kidney). This is because the regulations of countries previously empaneled with Aasandha required the kidney donor to be a “first-degree donor” by law, preventing these patients from receiving treatment. With the new empanelment added to the Aasandha scheme, such patients will now have the opportunity for kidney transplants.
The second group consists of patients who have received multiple treatments through facilities in the Maldives, India, or Sri Lanka but have not seen improvement in their condition and continue to suffer. For such patients, a team of relevant doctors will determine the appropriate center for referral, and assistance will be provided for their required medical treatment. As Aasandha services expand to the UAE and Thailand today, priority will be given to these two groups, with plans to extend services to additional groups in the coming days.
Applications for overseas treatment under the Aasandha scheme should be submitted through the same process as before. Applications can be submitted online through the Aasandha mobile app and the My Aasandha portal. Additionally, applications can be submitted at Vira counters established in hospitals and at the Aasandha front office counter.
