Tamil Nadu is one of the wealthiest states in India, which has often made headlines with its outstanding social welfare policies. In the past, the poorest were paid there for laptops, bicycles, goats and bridal jewelry so that they could better participate in community life. Now a new service has been added: free breast surgeries.

C Vijaya Baskar is the South Indian State Minister of Health. “The poor also have the right to be beautiful,” he says. If such interventions were not offered free of charge, those affected would seek dangerous alternatives or take out large loans to be able to pay the costs. In a private hospital, a breast operation costs between 1,900 and 3,100 euros – for most Indians, this corresponds to a year’s salary. At the same time, surgeries are becoming more and more popular.

The free procedures were recently offered at a public clinic that already has experience in breast operations. So far, the focus has been on reconstruction after breast cancer operations. Like the British Guardians reportedbut now breast enlargements and reductions should also be possible.

The clinic does not want to make any distinction as to why patients come. A breast reduction to relieve back pain should be just as possible as an enlargement to increase self-esteem. And gender shouldn’t matter either. At Guardians According to the report, the number of Indian men undergoing breast reduction surgery has increased rapidly in recent years.

Also planned freehand transplants

In addition to breast operations, the clinic will also use the newly launched program to correct cleft lip in children and perform free-hand transplants.

Not everyone finds the government’s new idea successful. A former director of public health he said India time according, free breast surgeries are not the ideal of a government health program. Instead of beauty, audiences should instead focus on curing serious and life-threatening illnesses.