DCW asks govt about panel looking at lack of sex-reassignment surgery facility in hospitals

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the city government's health department, seeking details of a committee formed by it to look into the absence of a facility for sex-reassignment surgeries in state-run hospitals.

The panel said it regularly interacts with the transgender community and comes across various issues faced by the members of the community in the national Capital.

A common issue faced by the community is the lack of government-sponsored sex-reassignment surgeries (SRS) in hospitals.

The commission had issued a notice to the Delhi government's health department and sought information on the provision of free sex-reassignment surgeries in the government hospitals in the city. The commission was informed by the department that no SRS facility was available in the Delhi government hospitals.

Following this, the panel had recommended to the Department of Health and Family Welfare of the Delhi government to introduce the facility of SRS in government hospitals.

Subsequently, the health secretary had directed the director general of health services, Delhi to form a committee to look into the matter and submit a report to the government.

DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal has issued the notice to the department, seeking information about the committee constituted by it in this regard, along with the minutes of the meetings held by the panel. The commission has also sought the details of any report or recommendation made by the committee and the action taken by the department on the same.

"Lack of free sex-reassignment surgery is one of the main problems faced by the transgender community in Delhi. Presently, most transgenders undergo immense suffering as they are unable to get these surgeries done due to the exorbitant costs of the same. I have issued a notice to the health department in the matter and we shall work towards ensuring that free sex-reassignment surgeries are provided in government hospitals in Delhi," Maliwal said.