Transgender activist demands for separate clinics

Mumbai: Gauri Sawant, a transgender activist from Mumbai, demanded separate clinic for transgenders at the state and civic-run hospitals. Although hospitals have the facilities, in a number of cases doctors refuse to treat transgenders. Ms Sawant has demanded that the government set up a separate department exclusively for the transgender community.

She alleged that many of those responsible for ‘transphobia’ are medical professionals themselves, who remain largely uninformed about gender identity issues.

Ms Sawant claimed, “Even though civic and government-run hospitals have facilities, but sometimes doctors refu-se to treat transgenders. Due to the discrimination committed against them transgender people fear going to the hospitals.”

Whereas, Dr Sushant Pagare, an Occupational therapist at KEM Hospital, said, “There are few facilities for transgenders at civic-run hospitals, but many times due to communication gap we’re unable to treat them.”