Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan inaugurates the transgender ward at GT hospital in Mumbai. (Photo | EPS)
MUMBAI: Maharashtra government-affiliated Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) hospital will be the first hospital to start a dedicated and separate OPD for the transgender community patients for their mental and physical treatment in Mumbai.
Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan inaugurated the transgender ward at GT hospital on Friday. He announced that the 30-bed special and dedicated ward for transgender patients started on Friday.
The minister said, "Transgender people as a community have suffered a lot of discrimination and inequality in society even as the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 gives equal rights to the community and any discrimination against them is punishable under law.
"Now, transgenders can not only avail treatment for their physical illness but also for their mental well-being. We have already conducted training sessions for our employees to learn about the problems faced by the community and also how to deal with them. They should also have general healthcare-accessible benefits," he said.
"GT hospital is the first hospital to provide them special wards. After receiving the response and feedback, we would also start similar wards in other hospitals as well," the minister added.
Dr Pallavi Sapale, Dean of Sir JJ hospital said that she has closely witnessed the trauma the transgenders face. "Transgenders are also a part of our community. Our constitution has given them rights. So, they should be equally treated as other genders. They have the right to get proper treatment. Due to the absence of special wards, they suffer a lot and are confused about where to go for treatment. In separate wards, they can be treated well. Mental health counselling is also available at the ward," Dr Sapale said.
"We have distributed the guidance booklet to all the transgender people who have attended the inauguration programme. We have given training for doctors, nurses and other staff on how to handle and treat them giving proper care. We have also given two ventilators, monitors, and a semi ICUs room for this ward," she added.
Dr Sapale added that counselling and rehabilitation will also be provided if needed.
"In the state government-run medical hospitals, there were only two categories mentioned in the case papers-male and female. Now, the third category has also been included. So, we will have separate records of this community. We are sure that we will offer the best treatment to our transgender siblings," Dr Sapale concluded.
