Lucknow, June 1 (IANS): There is good news for Ayushman Bharat cardholders in Uttar Pradesh.

The services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will now also include bone marrow transplant, which is often recommended to cancer patients.

Sangeeta Singh, CEO of state agency for comprehensive health insurance and integrated services, the body that implements the scheme in Uttar Pradesh, said, "Medical literature shows that patients in need of this transplant, especially those from poor socio-economic backgrounds, do not opt for the procedure on account of the cost factor. Thus, it has been included in the list of services provided under the umbrella of Ayushman Bharat."

She said the role of medical colleges was crucial to helping patients avail the benefits of Ayushman Bharat.

"In many districts, patients were being referred to other states despite availability of the services within Uttar Pradesh," she said, urging heads of state-run institutes and medical colleges to look into the gaps within their system and plug them at the earliest.

Executive director of National Health Authority Dr Shakhar Prinja said that as many as 365 procedures/treatments have been included in the list under Ayushman Bharat.

The list includes treatment related to interventional cardiology, mental health, neurology and nephrology.