New Delhi: In a step toward inclusivity and healthcare accessibility, the Centre-run Dr RML Hospital here inaugurated India’s first dedicated OPD for the transgender community on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on Sunday (September 17). The initiative was started to alleviate the difficulties encountered by members of the transgender community in accessing healthcare services, largely due to discomfort and the fear of discrimination and social indifference. The hospital also organised a blood donation camp to mark Prime Minister Modi’s 73rd birthday.
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Dr Ajay Shukla, the hospital’s medical superintendent, inaugurated the special OPD and the blood donation camp.
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He said this dedicated OPD service will be available to transgenders every Friday from 2 pm to 4 pm and there will be a separate registration counter for them.
At India’s first dedicated OPD for transgenders, they will be provided with an endocrinology facility with hormone analysis and free hormonal treatment, a psychiatry facility with clinical-psychological assessment, and plastic surgery, Dr Shukla said.
Also, dermatology, urology and paediatrics services and all related blood investigations will be made available at the OPD, he said, adding that it will have gender-neutral/transgender washroom facilities.
When asked what prompted the launch of the special OPD, Dr Shukla said,
I rarely have seen members from the transgender community in the OPD or in the hospital wards and wondered why we don’t see them seeking treatment in government facilities. I spoke to some transgender groups and found that they feel stigmatised. They feel uncomfortable in availing medical care along with other people in public spaces.
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The medical superintendent said that upon enquiry in various quarters, he found that people from the transgender community mostly seek treatment in private healthcare facilities.
Since many cannot afford the cost of treatment at private facilities, they are devoid of medical care altogether, he said. Dr Shukla added,
Government hospitals need to be accessible for every section of society and this is the motivation behind opening a separate OPD to provide healthcare services for the transgenders.
Trans rights activist, author and founder director of Love Thy Neighbour Trust, Sanjana Simon said,
It is indeed a matter of great joy for the entire transgender community as such a known government hospital has started a separate and special OPD, examination room and helping window for the transgender community. We the transgender people always feel awkward when we see male and female lines in hospitals and public areas. Because of this gender-biased rule, the transgender community always feels frightened to go there. They are often misbehaved with and insulted by the cisgender people and even staff members. The very step by RML Hospital is a historic decision which has been demanded and required since long.
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NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
