For the first time in the country, the Kerala government will implement a “Queer-friendly hospital initiative” to protect the rights of the queer, transgender community and to ensure healthcare services for them in hospitals across the State.
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Health Minister Veena George said in a statement here on Monday that the Health department intended it to be a initiative wherein all hospital care and services would be ensured without any discrimination to the queer/transgender community.
In the first phase, the initiative will be implemented in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts.
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In these districts, the General Hospitals are being equipped to offer this initiative and hospital employees are being trained and sensitised. In phases, all healthcare institutions in the State would be made queer-friendly, Ms. George said in her statement.
As a first step, transgender community link worker (CLW) scheme has been started in the four districts where the hospital initiative is being implemented. The CLW’s task will be to act as the link between the transgender community and the health system and help ensure necessary healthcare services for the transgender community for whom the interface with mainstream society is often difficult and intimidating.
Transgender persons who reach out to the CLW for accessing hospital services should be ensured all help and care in hospitals by the CLW.
The State will continue to prioritise services for the transgender community as part of the efforts to mainstream them, Ms.George said.