Thiruvananthapuram: ‘Zero HIV surveillance centre’ opened for transgender people

Thiruvananthapuram: The state social welfare board with the support of Dale View, an NGO, and funded by state social justice department, has opened a ‘zero HIV surveillance centre’ for the welfare of transgender people in the city.

Health and social justice minister K K Shailaja inaugurated the centre, the first of its kind in the state, which is being launched on an experimental basis, at a function held here on Wednesday. “The government is implementing various projects for the welfare of transgender people, and this centre is one among such projects,” the minister said. She said the aim of the government is to resolve the issue of accessibility of medical care for transgender persons and such centres will provide them easy access to quality healthcare.

The project aims to prevent spread of HIV among transgender people, to conduct regular medical check-ups and syphilis screening tests, for referring HIV tests to ICTC centres and to educate community members on the infection. Medicines for persons identified with diseases will also be given for free. The project will benefit 308 persons belonging to the transgender community, who reside in Thiruvananthapuram. The beneficiaries have been identified as part of the transgender health intervention project implemented in the district.

The state government has allocated Rs 19.8 lakh per annum for running the centre. Under the project, there will be clinics functioning at Attingal, Nedumangad, Kadinamkulam, East Fort and Neyyattinkara.

Vattiyoorkavu MLA K Muraleedharan was the chief guest at the function, which was presided over by social welfare board chairperson Susan Kody. As part of the event a medical camp for transgender persons was also organized.