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Now, five-bed wards for transgenders at govt hospitals in UP
The government hospitals in all districts of Uttar Pradesh will now have dedicated wards reserved for members of the transgender community
The government hospitals in all districts of Uttar Pradesh will now have dedicated wards reserved for members of the transgender community. They would also be issued identity cards to help them bag benefits of various government welfare schemes, informed officials aware of the development.
Orders in this regard have been issued by the state government and its implementation too has started in various districts including Prayagraj, they added.
In Prayagraj, five-bed reserved wards for members of transgender community have been set up at four hospitals comprising SRN Hospital, Tej Bahadur Sapru (Beli) Hospital, Motilal Nehru Divisional (Colvin) Hospital and Dufferin Hospital (District Women’s Hospital), informed chief medical officer, Prayagraj Dr Nanak Saran.
Taking forward the mission to help transgenders in UP join the mainstream, now they would also be issued identity cards by respective district administration across the state.
The work of making and issuing identity cards for members of the transgender community has already kick- started in Prayagraj, informed district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri.
So far, identity cards have been issued to three individuals belonging to the transgender community in the district. The identity cards will help them avail benefits of all government welfare schemes they are eligible for, he added.
Member of the Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board and Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada, Kaushalya Nandgiri aka Tina Maa said that these initiatives of the state government would greatly help members of the transgender community to get basic facilities and support needed to move ahead with rest of the society while leading a life of dignity.
A day after chairing a meeting of district-level officers of various state government departments at Prayagraj including education department, social welfare department and health department, Kaushalya Nandgiri said that to raise awareness among the transgender society, it was necessary to promote education.
“For this, it is necessary to educate the members of the community and efforts are being made to extend free education to all transgender children,” she said.
Kaushalya Nandgiri said that soon, a separate ward of 5 beds will be available for transgender community members in every government hospital of the state. “This initiative has started in Prayagraj with SRN Hospital, the associate hospital of MLN Medical College and few others. In others districts also similar steps are now being undertaken following government orders issued in this regard,” she said.
She also said that a separate cell will also be set up at police stations to redress the safety and security related challenges of the community members.
Along with this, separate toilets for transgenders would also be set up at all public toilets in the state.
“Keeping in view the problems of the transgender community, the Yogi government has constituted the Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board in the state. The Board members are now visiting and holding meetings with officials of different government departments in every district so that necessary instructions are issued and steps taken for the benefit of the transgender community members in UP,” said Kaushalya Nand Giri who herself has so far held meetings in more than two dozen districts of UP.
According to the 2011 Census, Uttar Pradesh has 1.37 lakh people belonging to the transgender community.
