Kerala sets a new example by establishing transgender clinics in medical colleges

Kerala has planned to set up transgender clinics in all government medical colleges in the state. Health Minister K K Shailaja issued a statement that a decision in this regard and a clinic has been set up at Kottayam Medical College Hospital on a pilot basis. 

The out patient wing at the medical college will be open once in a month. All departments will coordinate with the special wing, and the current plan is to begin surgical wings in two medical college hospitals. The first one will be opened at Kottayam Medical College Hospital within one month. 

The outpatient wing will function on the first Tuesday of every month, and the doctors from general medicine, dermatology, plastic surgery, psychiatry and endocrinology will attend patients. 

The government is also planning to distribute health card to transgender persons through the clinics. A para-legal volunteer too will be posted at these clinics for providing legal support to community members. The authorities have already chosen three transgender persons as legal volunteers. 

The government is also planning to develop these clinics by making arrangements for sex reassignment surgery in future. 

Thiruvananthapuram Medical College has performed sex reassignment surgery successfully on a 41-year-old woman who wanted to become a male. 

The decision aims to ensure timely and adequate treatment to transgender patients. The clinics will provide health care support to third gender persons. These individuals face some peculiar health issues, and these clinics aim to address such issues properly, the Minister said. 
 

• Transgender clinics
• Kottayam Medical College