Transgenders should be given access to govt relief: High Court

Hyderabad: The High Court Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy heard a public interest litigation on Monday through video conference seeking relief to the transgender community to extend the Aarogyasri government medical insurance to transgender persons and Direct that the Aarogyasri include the health challenges of covid-19.

Counsel for the petitioner Kothari informed the bench that Covid-19 is rising in Telangana State. No isolation wards, no quarantine wards have been allotted to transgender community and with the numbers rising of Covid-19 regularly the Bench should direct the State govt to provide quarantine centres and isolation wards to the transgender community immediately.

The Bench aggrieved over the Government report said:' You are not telling the Court what steps have been taken for this particular community. Answers are absolutely made that everyone is being given 15 kgs rice, Rs 1500 etc.

The last filed report is very vague, does not even answer some of the issues we have raised in our order, I am surprised the vagueness of the report which have been submitted before the court, CJ opined.

Chief Justice Chauhan questioned Advocate General B.S.Prasad that do you have any data as to how many transgenders have come down with covid-19. How many Transgenders are living in the major cities in Telangana? Proper Medical Facilities were not being extended to this particular community, CJ added.

'If we are going to relax the requirement of having the ration card, or Food security card, I suggest even the transgender community members should be permitted to have axis to the poor reliefs through this period', CJ pointed out.

Even those samples which have been taken has anybody gone to the areas where the transgender community is living, have they been tested. How many of them are bound to be positive, where are they taken to, are there isolation wards, specifically not for these transgenders, CJ added.

Please consider the embarrassment for this community as in general wards it will create a lot of difficulties. This is the community that most of us, unfortunately, most instinctively try to avoid, if you take a person from this community and keep them in general ward, chances are that this person may not be looked after, may not be cared as much care will not be taken to these persons as others.

Besides Gandhi, Osmania is there any other designated hospitals treating covid-19 patients, CJ asked Advocate General and told him to insist the Government ensure that the Transgender community persons may be allotted separate wards.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the bench that regarding Transgenders a comprehensive report will be filed in the next hearing. For further hearing, the matter has been adjourned to July 6.