Tamil Nadu: CMCH opens multi-specialty clinic for transgender persons

Coimbatore: In an attempt to ensure better healthcare services for transgenders, the Gender Guidance Clinic has been set up on the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) premises. It is a multi-specialty clinic for transgenders and it will enable them to get medical guidance and treatment for various diseases in one place.

National Health Mission will be responsible for the function of the clinic. Dr A Nirmala, Dean, CMCH, inaugurated the clinic on Wednesday in the presence of doctors and some people belonging to the transgender community.

On Wednesdays, the four-bed clinic would be functional from 10 am to noon. At that time, specialists will be available from different departments. Departments like Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Urology, Obstetrics, and Gynaecology, ENT, and Psychiatry will offer outpatient (OP) services at the clinic.

According to medical professionals, the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan will cover all procedures. Shortly, the clinic will also provide the facility for sex-reassignment surgery. As per a report by Times of India, Dr Nirmala stated that the facility will make it easy for transgender people to receive treatment under one roof. One of the doctors claimed that the state administration had made it a policy to add the feature to all significant government hospitals. “A few medical college hospitals already house a similar facility.”

"Earlier, transgender persons had to go to each department for consultation. The clinic will have doctors from select departments under one roof exclusively for trans persons,” stated Dr. Nimala. R. Chithra, a transwoman social worker, said that the clinic will enable trans people to receive care without having to go to the general OP wards, reports The Hindu. Ms. Chithra also attended the opening of the new clinic. “The clinic also has beds so that trans persons can undergo treatment,” Dr Chithra stated.