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Relief To Third Gender: Maharashtra Govt Announces Free Sex Reassignment Surgeries For Transgenders
Writer: Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
Maharashtra, 14 May 2022 10:46 AM GMT
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A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
In India, the cost of undergoing sex reassignment surgeries (SRS) can range between ₹2 to ₹5 lakhs for a male to female (MTF) transition, while for a female to male (FTM), it is anywhere between ₹4 to ₹8 lakhs.
Sex reassignment or gender-affirming surgeries would be carried out free of cost for members of the transgender community in Maharashtra now. The state Health Minister Rajesh Tope made the announcement at a conference organised by the Public Health Department and the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Mumbai on May 12, NDTV reported.
"I would like to tell you on this occasion that we will carry out surgeries for transgender people 100 per cent free of cost," the minister announced.
A video clip of Tope's speech was later shared by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule.
Thanking Tope, Ms Sule tweeted, "Rajesh Bhaiyya Tope (@rajeshtope11) - Minister for Public Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Maharashtra has declared that Gender affirming or Sex reassignment surgeries (SRS) would be done free of cost for Transgender Individuals in the State."
Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) is a gender affirmation process which involves genital reconstruction surgery to change the genitalia from one gender to another. As per the 2011 census, Maharashtra has a transgender population of approximately 19 per cent.
The state government's move is cited as a massive relief for the trans community, who had to spend lakhs of rupees to get their sex reassignment surgeries done.
Cost Of Sex Reassignment Surgeries In India
In India, while the cost of undergoing sex reassignment surgeries (SRS) at private hospitals or clinics can range between ₹2 to ₹5 lakhs for a male to female (MTF) transition, for a female to male (FTM), it is anywhere between ₹4 to ₹8 lakhs, according to The New Indian Express.
While the costly surgery is the final step in the transition process, the therapy and medications are added expenses. One year of treatment with a psychologist is compulsory before undergoing physical transition. This includes two to four sessions a month which can cost from ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 per session, bringing the total cost from ₹48,000 to ₹72,000.
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