ISLAMABAD, Dec 1 2018: In a move to give respect and recognise transgender community of Pakistan first dedicated ward for them opened at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Saturday 1st December 2018.
Aamer Mehmood Kiani Minister for National Health Services cut the ribbon of the first transgender ward of the country besides the cardiac emergency, he was accompanied by Federal Minister for Human Rights Shirin Mazari during the inauguration. “Transgender community had equal right to access healthcare facilities,” Kiani said. All necessary medical facilities would be available at this transgender ward while more such wards would be established in other parts of the country.
The minister said the welfare of transgender was a top priority of the government by ensuring provision of free of cost medical facility for them at public hospitals. He said the ministry has started restructuring of different health facilities and institutions to ensure provision of standard health services to the people.
The minister said that transgender people will be issued health cards on priority basis and to overall 20 million people in the middle of January.
Commenting about the burden on public sector hospitals minister said that more hospitals would be constructed and provinces would be directed to allocate separate wards for trans community.
Answering a question asked by The Dayspring regarding increased number of HIV cases in transgenders, he said that following this year’s theme ‘Know Your Status’ everyone including transgenders should come up to hospitals for testing without any hesitation.
Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said the allocation of first ever ward in Pims was much needed for transgender community and would help end serious widespread ignorance, insensitivity and discrimination attitude of the healthcare, she expressed.
Most of the transgender community members, she said feel uncomfortable in discussing their status with healthcare providers. The trans-community, due to discrimination in access to healthcare facilities, are practicing self- treatment and self-prescriptions in the community, she added.
