UP: Govt Hospitals to have separate wards for Transgenders

Prayagraj: Government hospitals in all districts of Uttar Pradesh will now have dedicated wards reserved for members of the transgender community.

The members will be issued identity cards to help them get benefits of various government welfare schemes, said a state government spokesman. 

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Efforts in this direction have already begun in Prayagraj.

Prayagraj Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nanak Saran, said that a five-bed reserved ward for members of the transgender community has been set up at four hospitals in the city, including SRN Hospital, Tej Bahadur Sapru (Beli) Hospital, Motilal Nehru Divisional (Colvin) Hospital and Dufferin Hospital (District Women's Hospital).

Prayagraj District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri said that the work of making and issuing identity cards for members of the transgender community has already begun.

Member of the Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board and Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada, Kaushalya Nandgiri a.k.a Tina Maa said that these initiatives of the state government would greatly help members of the transgender community to get basic facilities and support needed to move ahead with rest of the society while leading a life of dignity.

Kaushalya Nandgiri said that to bring awareness among the transgender society, it was necessary to promote education.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that in an effort to achieve a better future and equal rights for all, Sassoon General Hospital in Pune had decided to form an outpatient department (OPD) devoted exclusively to transgender patients. Thinking of changing its services, the hospital wrote a letter assuring that a separate OPD for the transgender community will be established soon in the hospital. 

In the letter, the hospital also mentioned creating a three-member committee to check if there is discrimination against transgenders in the hospital. 

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