THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department has initiated an investigation into the death of transwoman activist Ananya Kumari Alex, six months after she committed suicide. The decision was based on a complaint that she took the extreme step following a botched sex reassignment surgery by a private hospital in Kochi.
The additional director of the vigilance wing of the department will inquire into the allegations and submit a report in a month. Ananya, 28, was the first transgender candidate in the state to contest the assembly elections.
Her death sparked an outcry in the community and members demanded action against the hospital that conducted the surgery, even though the hospital denied the charges. Following the protest, Health Minister Veena George ordered a probe into Ananya's death.She had also said that an expert committee will be formed to conduct an in-depth study on sex reassignment surgeries.