In a progressive move, the BMC has decided to form a 10-member working group to improve healthcare for transgender patients. This group will include physicians from KEM, Sion, Nair, and Cooper hospitals and medical colleges. The goal is to make sure that transgender patients receive equal treatment at civic-run facilities.
The panel will research the healthcare facilities provided to transgender patients in other states. The group will meet once a month and will include medical professionals from various departments. This includes gynaecology, plastic surgery, psychiatry, urology, endocrinology, forensic medicine, and general surgery. After the research and studies, the group will make a standard operating procedure (SOP).
The panel will also find out the problems faced by transgender people during and after therapy. The physicians will arrange regular meetings with the community and make sure that medications for hormone prevention are available.
On February 26, the Additional Municipal Commissioner (AMC), Dr. Sudhakar Shinde, met with representatives of the National Network of Transgender (NNT) and held the first meeting. They discussed the challenges faced by transgender people while seeking treatment at government hospitals. Priya Patil, the programme manager of Kinnar Maa Trust, represented the NNT. She suggested that transgender patients should receive free medical care at government and BMC hospitals. Dr. Shinde emphasised that all patients are treated equally at BMC hospitals. The goal is to provide care to all people.
One of the significant issues discussed was the difficulty in obtaining funding for gender reassignment surgery through corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes. Following the meeting, Dr. Shinde instructed the director of planning to manage the expenses using CSR funding.
A circular was issued by the AMC mandating free medical care for transsexual patients. He asked for suggestions on healthcare for the third gender from the corresponding hospital doctors.
The NNT stated that transgender patients do not require a separate ward in civic hospitals. However, they emphasised the need for respectful treatment. Last year, the state’s GT Hospital made 30 beds exclusive for transsexual patients, making GT Hospital the first to do so. However, the department received only 51 OPD patients in a year. This included seven hospitalisations and one surgery.
However, it was also suggested that there was a need for a transgender-only ward, similar to the one that the state's Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital has. This will make sure that the community does not feel discriminated against and seeks treatment without hesitation.
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