PESHAWAR –KP Government takes yet another unprecedented step for welfare oftransgender community across the province.
Transgender rights organizations Blue Veins and TransAction (ProvincialAlliance of Transgender Community) appreciated Khyber Pakhtunkhwagovernment for fulfilling their demand of allocating separate wards for thetransgender community and looking into the specific transgender healthcareissues.
According to the notification, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister hasordered the health department to take necessary steps for providing safeenvironment to the transgender community at all government andnon-governmental healthcare institutions of the province, in response tothe instructions the health department had issued a notification to provideseparate words/rooms for the transgender persons in the all governmenthospital across the province with immediate effect.
As per orders, MTI hospitals shall provide 5 beds, category A and Bhospital staff provide 4 beds while category C hospitals shall provide 3,district health officers are asked to update the Director General Healthabout the compliance of this notification.
Addressing a press conference, Farzana Jan President of the TransactionAlliance demanded that the allocated wards in Lady Reading Hospital shouldbe named “Alisha Shaheed Memorial Ward” to remember transgender rightsactivist Alisha who died in Peshawar because of the negligence of doctors.
She said, “Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Act 2018 not only asksto facilitate access by providing an enabling and safe environment forTransgender Persons in hospitals and other healthcare institutions, butalso require to review medical curriculum and improve research for Doctorsand nursing staff to address specific health issues of Transgender persons”Qamar Naseem program Coordinator Blue Veins appreciated Khyber PakhtunkhwaGovernment, Secretary Health, Secretary Social Welfare, Senator RubenaKhalid, Nighat Yaseemn Orkazi, Speaker KP Assembly, Deputy Speaker,Minister Health and Dr.Sumera Shams for their continued support.
KP Government especially the health department is taking steps to addressthe challenges of transgender healthcare.