Jaipur, May 19 -- The Rajasthan government has announced that the helpless, mentally challenged, destitute, and disabled individuals - who do not possess any form of identity proofs - will now be entitled to free treatment and medicines at hospitals, affiliated to government medical colleges. The order issued by the medical education department stated, "It is often observed that helpless, impoverished, abandoned, and incapacitated individuals are found in vulnerable conditions at railway stations, bus stands, religious sites, and other public places. In many cases, religious trusts, NGOs, or shelter homes escort such individuals to nearby hospitals for medical assistance. However, due to the absence of identification documents such as Aadhaar, Jan Aadhaar, or any other ID, they are often denied free medical treatment - despite the state government running several welfare health schemes for the public." As per the bylaws of the Rajasthan Medical Relief Society, several vulnerable groups are already entitled to receive free medical treatment in government hospitals. These include individuals living below the poverty line (BPL), freedom fighters, widows, orphans, abandoned persons, accident victims, and senior citizens above the age of 65. This provision aims to ensure that the most disadvantaged sections of the society have access to essential healthcare services without financial barriers, said the order issued by Ambrish Kumar, secretary, medical education department. The Rajasthan government has directed all principals of the government medical colleges and superintendents of affiliated hospitals to include helpless, poor, abandoned, and incapacitated patients under the eligible categories defined in the bylaws of the Rajasthan Medical Relief Society. As per the directive, such individuals - whether they arrive at a medical college hospital on their own or are brought by a registered charitable trust or NGO - must be given priority access to free treatment, medicines, surgeries, pathological tests, and other necessary medical services. For identification purposes, a declaration on the official letterhead of a registered charitable trust or NGO stating that the patient is helpless and without ID will be considered sufficient, it said. Hospitals have also been instructed to provide free medicines and treatment, as needed, to patients referred from local shelter homes such as old-age homes, mental health shelters, and other NGO-run facilities, stated the order....