Transgenders to get special facility under Health Card

LAHORE: Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said a special facility will be provided to transgenders under Health Card.

The minister said the best treatment facilities in the public hospitals of Punjab is the fundamental right of transgenders. There should be legislation to provide basic rights to transgenders, he added.

A meeting was held in the Department of Primary and Secondary Healthcare under the chairmanship of Health Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir. They reviewed the measures to provide better medical facilities to transgenders in government hospitals.

Kh Salman speaking on the occasion, said providing best treatment facilities in the public hospitals of Punjab is the fundamental right of transgenders. There should be legislation to provide basic rights to transgenders. Awareness has to be spread to provide equal rights to transgenders in the society, the minister said.

He said the Health Department wants to handle the request of the police department to provide medical facilities to transgenders in a good way. The minister visited Punjab Institute of Cardiology. He reviewed modular theatres under completion and reviewed the progress. “We are working day and night to complete all the modular theatres in Punjab Institute of Cardiology. In the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, suffering humanity cannot be disturbed in any way. Apart from Punjab Institute of Cardiology, all other cardiology hospitals are increasing their capacity,” Khawaja Salman Rafique said and directed the company concerned to complete the modular theatres of Punjab Institute of Cardiology at the earliest.

The minister participated as a special guest in a ceremony organised by Ali Hajwiri Free Drug Bank in a local hotel on World Kidney Day. Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique while addressing the participants of the event said, “I congratulate the administration for organising an awareness seminar on a very important topic. Kidney diseases are increasing at an alarming rate in Pakistan. We have to adopt a healthy lifestyle to live a healthy life. Today, Kidney Disease Prevention Day is being observed across the world. Kidney health should be taken care of for a healthy life.”

Dialysis facilities will be further improved in Punjab. According to the vision of Quaid Nawaz Sharif, the main objective of building PKLI was to provide the best medical facilities to patients suffering from kidney diseases. All the doctors involved in the treatment of kidney diseases would like to pay tribute to the nursing staff. There is a need to spread awareness about adopting a healthy lifestyle in educational institutions of Punjab. Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute will be further activated, he said.