Pak: Transgender community protests alleged gender misreporting by hospital
May 19, 2024
Okara (Punjab) [Pakistan], May 19 : The members of the transgender community took to the streets outside the health secretariat in Okara, expressing outrage over what they claim to be a case of gender misreporting by the Okara District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Dawn reported.
The focal point of their protest is the alleged misclassification of Husnain Ali, also known as Naghina Chaudhry, a prominent figure within their community.
According to the protesters, Husnain Ali's gender was inaccurately documented as female in medical examination reports by the Okara DHQ Hospital, a decision they attribute to his refusal to comply with demands for bribery made by hospital staff.
Despite their persistent efforts, they were met with a cold reception at the health secretariat, denied access to the health secretary after hours of waiting, as reported by Dawn.
Husnain Ali, speaking to Dawn, shed light on his personal journey, revealing that despite being a father to a three-year-old boy, he has long grappled with feelings of identifying as female. This internal conflict led him to embrace his identity within the transgender community and pursue a career in dance.
He recounted the challenges he faced, including ridicule and derogatory remarks from relatives and locals, who mocked his perceived gender identity. Despite obtaining an 'X' gender marker on his computerized national identity card (CNIC) from Nadra, indicating neither male nor female, his attempts to register his son at the local union council were met with obstacles due to his unique identification.
The ordeal escalated when the Okara DHQ Hospital demanded a hefty sum of PKR 70,000 for a medical examination to determine his gender, a demand he vehemently refused to comply with. Subsequently, the hospital staff conducted an ultrasound and erroneously declared him female, a decision that was later contradicted by a medical board at the Lahore General Hospital (LGH), affirming his male identity.
Supported by his community, Husnain Ali sought redress by attempting to meet Punjab Health Secretary Ali Jan. However, their efforts were thwarted as they were left standing outside the secretariat for hours, with no audience granted. Despite submitting an application, their grievances remain unaddressed, leaving them disillusioned with the healthcare system's responsiveness to their concerns, Dawn reported.
