Press Release by Blue Veins
Blue Veins launched the first ever Transgender Health Care Manual at National Transgender Health Summit. The manual aims to promote greater awareness of the health concerns of transgender populations including disparities in treatment and barriers to care, health services research including cultural competency, mental health and well-being, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections, hormone therapy and surgery, and best practices, protocols, and guidelines to ensure optimal care.
The event was well attended by Transgender community, Policy makers Govt officials and Civil Society Organizations.
Rabia Basri Member of the Provincial Assembly and Chairperson Standing Committee on Health KP Assembly said “Everyone regardless of their gender identity, sexual characteristics or expression, is entitled to and deserve equal, equitable, accessible, competent and friendly and medical service. People with sexual and gender variant characteristics have unique needs when interacting with the health care system. The challenges and barriers in access to medical facilities needs to be resolved through training and increasing cultural competencies”
Mohammad Arshad Director Sehat Sahulat Program Ministry of Health said “PTI Govt is committed to improve the status of transgender community including provision of Sehat Sahulat cards which improves the accessibility of health care services to transgender community, not only health but all stakeholders needs to be trained and sensitive towards the unique needs of transgender community to improve compliance to The Transgender protection of Rights Act 2018.
Ghulam Ali Regional Director Human Rights (KP) said “The manual will help state actors, organizations and institutions, advocating for the stigma free healthcare facilities or developing programs to improve quality healthcare services, to create greater understanding and increase awareness, particularly among health professionals, about meeting the needs of transgender clients”
Saira Jabeen Shah Deputy Director Provincial Health Services Academy (KP) said “It is important to increase their knowledge and understanding of health care providers about the lives of transgender people and their specific healthcare needs, and their challenges with the healthcare providers, and that this will, in turn, reduce stigma and discrimination to create more open and welcoming services that will improve the health of transgender people”.
