LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday asked the Punjab Health Department for suggestions in order to set up separate hospital wards for transgender persons.
This was stated during the hearing of a petition filed by Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry pertaining to establishing separate wards for transgender persons which was heard by LHC Judge Ali Akbar Qureshi.
During the hearing, the court stated that “transgenders are also God’s creation and can be born into any family”.
The court further noted that “A separate room must be reserved for transgender persons in all state-run hospitals.”
Furthermore, the LHC ordered the Punjab Health Department to submit its recommendations on providing healthcare facilities to transgender persons by September 26.
The judge remarked that the recommendations must be implemented before September 30.
Earlier, the LHC accepted a petition seeking the provision of better health facilities for members of the transgender community.
LHC Judge Justice Ali Akber Qureshi ruled on the maintainability of the petition filed by Advocate Ishtiaq Ahmed Chaudhry.
The court issued notices to the Punjab government and the provincial health secretary for not creating dedicated wards to provide treatment to transgender persons at government hospitals.
The court ordered that both departments should submit their replies in the matter by September 13.
The petition sought that separate wards should be created for transgender patients visiting government hospitals and there be dedicated rooms for transgenders in the outpatient departments of the government hospitals.
