TIRUCHY: Members of the transgender community have sought improvements to the transgender clinic and ward at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchy alleging inadequate infrastructure, lack of privacy and limited access to specialised healthcare services. The concerns were raised around two weeks ago in a petition to the Tiruchy Collector.
Among their key complaints is the lack of a separate bathroom in the ward as transperson and transmen patients have to depend on women’s toilets. They also alleged that cis men and cis women patients are also admitted to the ward at times, affecting privacy during hospital stays.
“The ward is there, but several facilities are still missing. Even after surgery, trans patients have to use women’s toilets because there is no separate bathroom,” said A Oviya Mary (42), a transgender activist who has assisted over 30 transpersons in undergoing gender-affirming procedures across Tamil Nadu.
She also called for a more responsive system to address the needs of trans patients. “The facilities and specialists are available, but the system needs to be more responsive. A dedicated mechanism should ensure that trans persons receive timely counselling, referrals and treatment without unnecessary delays,” she said.
The transgender clinic and ward have been operational since 2022. Monisha (22), who underwent surgery at MGMGH three years ago, said the lack of basic amenities added to patients’ difficulties. “After surgery, I stayed in the hospital for over a week. Without a bathroom in the ward, I had to walk to the toilet on my own even while recovering,” she said.
Community members also said the weekly outpatient clinic functions only for a limited duration on Wednesdays and that patients often wait longer for surgeries and follow-up treatment.
One of their major demands is the introduction of breast implantation procedures at MGMGH. Vinitha (30), who underwent gender-affirming surgery two years ago, said she had to travel to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai for a breast implantation procedure as the service was unavailable in MGMGH.
Responding to the concerns, a senior MGMGH official said the hospital has carried out 18 gender-affirming surgeries since the ward was opened in 2022. “Their expectation is justified. There are a few bottlenecks which will be sorted out,” the official said.
To bring about the improvements, the official added that a multidisciplinary team involving all concerned specialists has recently been formed who will soon be studying the facilities available at transgender clinic and ward in Madurai GH. An endocrinologist has also been brought on board under CMCHIS (Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme) for the transgender ward.