The state health department of Tamil Nadu has taken a new step to help the poor who cannot afford the costly surgeries like implants. A new clinic has been set up in the government medical college which is offering breast implants surgery for free. With this, the state becomes the first one in the country which offers publicly-funded beauty treatment like a breast implant! The clinic had been already conducting surgeries for those suffering from breast cancer but now have extended the services further.

The Health minister C Vijaya Baskar said: "If we don't offer, they (women opting for breast implants)  may opt for dangerous methods or take huge loans for it." Other than the health-related aspect if someone wants to alter the size of their breasts, say as a beauty treatment, then this clinic is doing it for free. The head of plastic surgery at the clinic, Dr V Ramadevi, said some of her patients have asked for a breast reduction to ease the shoulder and back pain, while some have asked for breast enlargement for a boost in confidence. "We have been doing surgeries to reconstruct entire breasts or a part for cancer victims. Now, we plan to do surgeries for those who want to increase or reduce their breast size. There is a psychological benefit. Many girls who have larger breasts don’t like to go out. There is no reason this surgery should be restricted from the poor," she was quoted in a report. This facility is not just restricted to the women, but men can also undergo it.

But this move has been questioned by the critics. They say if the poor will even opt for such surgeries. Someone who cannot afford even basic medication will probably not think of going under the knife for a beauty purpose. The clinic other than these has also been offering a surgical cure for cleft lip in children. A lot of women from around chose to go under the knife but most of them are the ones who can really afford to shell out the price or in case of a medical case. In India, in 2016, 33,000 women underwent breast augmentation. Now let us see how this free service encourages the beauty treatment among the poor.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2018 06:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).