Pak: Transgender Community Protests Against Alleged Gender Misreporting By Hospital

Members of the transgender community staged a protest outside the health secretariat in Okara, alleging a case of gender misreporting by the Okara District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, as reported by Dawn. The focal point of their demonstration was the alleged misclassification of Husnain Ali, also known as Naghina Chaudhry, a prominent figure within their community.

Protesters claim that Husnain Ali’s gender was incorrectly recorded as female in medical reports by the Okara DHQ Hospital, a decision they attribute to his refusal to pay bribes demanded by hospital staff. Despite their efforts, they were denied access to the health secretary after waiting for hours, Dawn reported.

Speaking to Dawn, Husnain Ali shared his journey, revealing his struggle with identifying as female despite being a father to a three-year-old boy. This conflict led him to embrace his identity within the transgender community and pursue a career in dance. He faced ridicule and derogatory remarks from relatives and locals, who mocked his perceived gender identity. Despite obtaining an ‘X’ gender marker on his CNIC from Nadra, indicating neither male nor female, he encountered obstacles when trying to register his son at the local union council due to his unique identification.

The situation escalated when the Okara DHQ Hospital demanded PKR 70,000 for a medical examination to determine his gender, a demand he refused. The hospital staff conducted an ultrasound and wrongly declared him female, a decision later contradicted by a medical board at the Lahore General Hospital (LGH), confirming his male identity.

Supported by his community, Husnain Ali attempted to meet Punjab Health Secretary Ali Jan for redress. However, they were left waiting outside the secretariat for hours without an audience granted. Despite submitting an application, their grievances remain unaddressed, highlighting their disillusionment with the healthcare system’s responsiveness to their concerns, as per Dawn.