- By Jasreet Kaur
- Thu, 06 Jul 2023 06:26 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad has launched a special clinic for the transgender community. This specialised clinic, which started operating on Wednesday, seeks to offer not just routine medical examinations but also to make gender-affirming procedures and hormone treatments more accessible.
On Wednesday, June 28, the facility was officially opened in the presence of Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Telangana Today reported. A similar clinic for transgender people was originally established in 2022 by the MGM Hospital in Warangal.
This inclusive clinic, in more ways than one, has shattered long-standing barriers faced by trans people. Patients of this underprivileged population will get a range of therapies under one roof from medical staff who have completed sensitisation training. The clinic now only opens on Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm, but it intends to extend the number of days it is open based on demand.
Endocrinologists Drs Rakesh Sahay and Neelaveni will take the lead in assisting transgender patients with hormone therapy and other necessary therapies. As necessary, assistance will also be provided by the gynecology, plastic surgery, psychiatry, urology, and other departments.
The first transgender physicians to work for the government in Telangana, Dr Prachi Rathod and Dr Ruth John Paul, have also been appointed as coordinators which comprises a talented group of medical professionals.
According to Dr Prachi, transgender people have a difficult time getting access to healthcare treatments. "Yet, it's better late than never since now we have a clinic where care will be given without any restrictions," they said. The clinic seeks to offer treatments to anyone who fall under the LGBTQIA umbrella as well as transgender people.
A major emphasis will also be placed on identifying gender dysphoria and conducting medical examinations to provide Gender Identity Disorder certifications. Gender-affirming operations are not currently offered but they will be in the near future, said Dr Prachi.
Dr Nagendra, Superintendent, Osmania General Hospital says, “We should not neglect them. They’re humans like everyone. It is our responsibility as healthcare professionals to provide them with the same kind of treatment as others. I also request the transgender community to avail this free-of-cost service.”