Kerala to probe trans activist’s suicide after sex reassignment surgery
The state government has directed the additional director of health to make a detailed inquiry and submit a report in a month’s time
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six months after the suicide of a 28-year-old trans activist following alleged medical complications after a sex reassignment surgery in a private hospital, the Kerala government on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
The government has directed the additional director of health to make a detailed inquiry and submit a report in a month’s time.
After the suicide of the activist, who was also the first radio jockey from the transgender community, her male friend also committed suicide and LGBTQ community members have been seeking a probe into their deaths for quite some time.
She also contested the last assembly elections from a constituency in Malappuram district but later withdrew her papers. Days before her death, she posted a message in social media about her “botched operation and how painful after-effects immobilised her”.
The activist’s friends said she underwent a sex reassignment surgery in a private hospital in Ernakulam in 2020 but after some time many problems started haunting her. Though she approached the same hospital it failed to address her woes, they said adding severe physical discomfort later led to her suicide. Her body was found hanging in an apartment and three days after the incident her male partner was also found dead in Kochi in a similar way.
“There is no uniform protocol in sex reassignment surgeries and LGBTQ community members often end up in traps set up by private hospitals. We need ethical committees to end this exploitation. We need a proper protocol, standard and treatment methodology,” said Syama S Prabha, state transgender justice board member.
Activists working in the area say Section 15 of the Transgender Act stipulates the government to provide various health care facilities for community members such as sex reassignment surgeries, hormonal therapy and treatment and separate sero surveillance centres but implementation of them are lethargic and abysmal.
“Hospitals need qualified healthcare professionals associated with sex reassignment surgery equipped with queer affirmative surgical and counselling practices. We need a health manual guided by world professional association for transgender health guidelines,” said another activist Renju adding for many private hospitals such surgeries are mere money making exercise.
Kerala is the first state to formulate a transgender policy in 2015 aimed at ending discrimination and bring them to mainstream. In 2017 it also set up a transgender justice board to deal with their complaints and a separate column called “third sex” was introduced in birth and death registration forms in the state.
It was also made mandatory for all government buildings to have separate washrooms for the third sex. According to transgender board there are at least 35,000 third sex and trans persons in Kerala. Five years back, the Kochi Metro gave job to 23 transgenders, though some of them have left. Despite some initial moves, activists working in the area say more is required to bring them into mainstream and they need recognition, not sympathy. In 2019, a hostel for transgender persons was opened in Kochi.
(Suicide is no solution to anything. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: 0484-2540530, 0471-2533900)