In a first, PIMS specifies two rooms for transgenders

Islamabad : The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, has become the first public sector hospital in the country to allocate separate rooms for the treatment of transgender persons to their relief.

The initiative comes as a requirement under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, said PIMS executive director Dr Raja Amjad Mehmood.

"As the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, guarantees the provision of an enabling and safe environment in hospitals and other healthcare institutions and centres to transgender persons, we (PIMS) took the initiative of opening of two rooms in the Medical Ward-II for transgender patients," he told 'The News'.

Dr Raja Amjad said the hospital was committed to providing necessary medical and psychological treatment to transgender persons without discrimination and would go all-out for it.

Human rights minister Shireen Mazari appreciated the initiative and said she had formally requested all provincial health ministers for following it in their respective areas.

She, however, regretted that no health minister, except Punjab's, had responded to the request promising to act accordingly.

"Punjab replied that they will be acting on this. No response from others," she said in a tweet. The move was widely hailed by social media users.

"Great news! Every small step taken in the right direction will go a long way. Our transgender community has suffered in silence for too long, it feels so good to see the government taking serious steps to somewhat alleviate their miseries. Way to go," Aaleen Nehal tweeted.

"Good job done," Shan Muhammad responded in a tweet.

In September, the Lahore High Court had directed the Punjab government to arrange a separate room in OPDs of all public hospitals of the province for the treatment of transgender community members.

The court had issued the order on the petition moved by advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry, and also sought recommendations from Health Department for the sake of providing the best facilities to the transgender.

The petitioner had argued that transgender people were being denied medical facilities at the public hospitals.

He also insisted that the Supreme Court had asked the public sector hospital to reserve a separate ward and room in OPD for transgender people but the orders had yet to be complied with.