Eight transgender people will guard the labour room of the Government Raja Mirasdar Hospital in Thanjavur. They received their appointment orders from Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar on Wednesday.
Kumudha Lingaraj, dean of Thanjavur Medical College and Hospital, said the transgender persons were appointed to improve security for the labour room.
“Around 50 to 60 deliveries take place at the labour room of the Government Raja Mirasdar Hospital every day. This is among the busiest areas in the hospital, and we needed more security guards. Under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care scheme, we had provision to appoint eight guards. We wanted to give transgender people a chance and help them in some way. We got in touch with their association and eight of them came forward for the job,” she said.
Ragini M, one of the transgender persons appointed as a security guard, is happy with the new job. “I used to drive autos. Like me, the others were doing small jobs such as selling flowers. We were trained for nearly 40 days during which we were told how to interact with patients and their attendants,” she said.
She added that four of them will be on 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift and the remaining will be on the 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. shift.
On contract basis
Dr. Lingaraj said they were appointed on contract basis for 12 months.
“We did a trial by posting them on security duty. They did a good job. We have also given them uniforms. This is the first time that transgender persons have been appointed as security guards in a government medical college hospital in Tamil Nadu,” she added.
