Earmark special COVID-19 wards for transgender community in hospitals: Telangana High Court

HYDERABAD: Expressing concern over the problems being faced by the transgender community, a division bench of Telangana High Court, on Tuesday, directed the State government to ensure that people of the community are provided proper medical aid in hospitals if they get infected by Coronavirus, by earmarking special wards for them. They should be shifted to TIMS in Gachibowli, the observed.

The bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy passed this order in the PIL filed by Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, social activist, stating that the community persons faced hardships during the lockdown and even after the lockdown was lifted.

The petitioner sought court directions to the government to provide free groceries and essential goods such as medicines to the community members through ration shops and other outlets, without insisting for a ration card. A majority of the transgender people do not have ration card and are poor, but the officials are not providing them Rs 1,500, one-time financial assistance, and essentials, on the ground that they do not possess ration cards. 

The bench directed the State Advocate General BS Prasad to file a detailed report informing about the number of transgenders, district-wise, whether they have food security cards, access to free rice and one time financial assistance, number of transgenders who have tested positive for COVID-19 and related issues. The bench posted the matter to July 6, for further hearing.