By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
A queer-friendly clinic has become operational at General Hospital, Ernakulam. The queer community can now access the fully equipped laser treatment facility at special rates, among other services. The laser treatment, which normally costs ₹1,000 per session, will be available to the community at half the price.
“In time, this will be further reduced to ₹250. The population density of the transgender community in the district is relatively high, and the aim is to make healthcare more accessible and convenient. A special queue system and dedicated counters will be set up. We also plan to add treatment facilities for plastic surgery and hormone therapy in the future,” said Dr. Shahirsha, superintendent, Ernakulam General Hospital. Counselling facilities are also available.
Apart from the queer-friendly clinic, the hospital has received several new facilities, including a modern mortuary complex, a stroke ICU, and a renovated cath lab. The hospital also offers the ‘Sruthitharangam’ scheme, which provides cochlear implant surgery for children with hearing impairments.
The mortuary has been refurbished with the addition of an extra freezer chamber, increasing the current capacity of 12 by six. The newly modernised freezer mortuary is cubicle-styled, unlike the traditional setup that existed previously. Apart from the freezer chamber, a waiting area for relatives, a reception area, drinking water facilities, and a garden have also been added.
The renovation works at the mortuary were carried out at a cost of ₹70 lakh using the MLA fund. The stroke ICU was set up at a cost of ₹10 lakh from the plan fund, while the queer-friendly clinic cost ₹13 lakh. Health Minister Veena George inaugurated the new projects at the hospital recently.
