Red Cross giving equal medical access to transgender in Thailand

  

BANGKOK, 24 August 2016 (NNT) - The Thai Red Cross Society held a forum on health services for transgender people in an effort to promote equal access to medical treatments. 

Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai presided over the opening ceremony of the forum which was aimed at coordinating efforts between related public agencies to provide medical treatments to transgender people. 

Dr. Nittaya Panupak, a member of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Center, said statistics revealed that 50% of transgender people in Thailand do not have equal access to public health services while as many as 90% of them overdose on hormones. 

Many transgender people are suffering from renal failure, hepatitis and clogged arteries as a result of hormone overdose. Dr. Nittaya added the Thai Red Cross Society introduced a 'tangerine clinic', which is Thailand’s first transgender clinic, nine months ago to help them cope with their illnesses. 

The Thai Red Cross Society is planning to open seven more clinics elsewhere in the country as it is gaining popularity.

 

 

-- nnt 2016-08-24

 

of course they should. why should medical access be denied to anybody.

 

could have quite easily have been a moratorium instead, but - everyobdy's got red blood

Nice

It has previously been reported elsewhere that Transgenders have been fixtures in the Thai tourism and entertainment industries, but they have been vulnerable to discrimination when accessing public health care.

 

So, this forum may help these people receive appropriate medical care. That said, it will be interesting to see what role (if any) the Ministry of Public Health will have in this - or will they leave it for others to do the right thing?

 

I am not from the US, but it is worth noting that the Tangerine Clinic is supported under Inform Asia: USAID’s Health Research Program, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development. The opening ceremony of was chaired by US Ambassador Glyn Davies (see https://www.usaid.gov/asia-regional/press-releases/nov-30-2015-thai-red-cross-society-us-partners-open-first