October 28, 2024
By Rashid Laghari Rolak
HYDERABAD
A 35-year-old transgender person identified as Sherry, alias Shiraz, died due to AIDS-related complications after she was allegedly denied treatment at Civil Hospital in Hyderabad.
Maryam Sheikh, a friend of the deceased, accused the doctors and other medical staff at the Civil Hospital of criminal negligence and discrimination against Sherry for her gender identity and her HIV-positive status.
Recalling Nirma, another transgender woman who died allegedly due to negligence at Jamshoro’s Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) on September 14, Sheikh claimed that discrimination prevents members of her community from accessing life-saving healthcare.
“Sherry was also discriminated against because she was HIV-positive, which according to the [HIV/AIDS (Safety and Control) Act] 2013 is an offense punishable by a fine of Rs50,000,” she explained, adding that it is important to continuously raise awareness of the non-serious attitudes of doctors and nurses towards transgender patients so that immediate steps can be taken by all relevant stakeholders to ensure access to healthcare for Sindh’s transgender community.
Sana, a transgender leader, held that a life could have been saved if her community was also treated on a humanitarian basis at the Civil Hospital, and urged the Government to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018 to make any kind of discrimination based on gender identity a criminal offense.
“Despite voicing our concerns, the transgender community all across Pakistan were disappointed when the Transgender Act of 2018 excluded any provision to criminalize discrimination,” she said. “We are approaching all forums to urge our lawmakers to amend the 2018 Act to make the non-acceptance of a transgender person a punishable offense.”
Performance artist Ashraf Sayan demanded legislation that ensures the transgender community is not barred from lifesaving treatment in public and private healthcare facilities.
“Any destitute person who is without any support should be provided immediate care, rather than left to rot to death” he said. “Because that is what happened to [Sherry]. They were not given first aid, due to which they passed away. Their only fault was that they had AIDS.”
He also expressed grief upon hearing that Sherry had passed away due to medical negligence.
Maria Sario, Police In-charge of the Human Rights Cell in Hyderabad, also agreed that transgender persons faced obstacles in hospitals as well as in other public service institutions due to their gender identity, and the incident at the Civil Hospital was yet another example of this.
“Even in the case before this, a transgender person was not given proper medical treatment because they were HIV-positive. Even in other institutions, they are not given the respect and dignity that human beings deserve,” she held.
“It is unheard of in any other country, for a hospital to deny someone treatment, based on their gender. What happened [at the Civil Hospital] is regrettable, and I will make an effort to initiate an inquiry into this,” Assistant Commissioner of Taluka City, Hyderabad, Babar Saleh Rahupoto told Voicepk.net.