Osmania General Hospital launches Telangana’s first public gender‑affirming surgery unit

Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad has launched the state’s first dedicated gender‑affirming surgery unit within the public health system. The Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery created the service through an eight‑month effort that brings together specialists from plastic surgery, anaesthesiology, endocrinology, urology, gynaecology and psychiatry, supported by nursing staff. The multidisciplinary team has already performed procedures such as frontal bossing reduction, autologous fat grafting for breast augmentation, breast implants, penile inversion vaginoplasty and bilateral nipple‑areola complex‑sparing mastectomy. Breast implants are provided through letters of credit under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, easing the cost for patients. Dr P. Lakshmi, professor and head of the department, said the initiative aims to offer safe, accessible and affordable surgical care to transgender individuals who often face financial and logistical barriers. The hospital also received assistance from the Queer Badhu Parents Association; its president, Mukunda Mala, helped set up a three‑bed recovery ward for transgender patients. Plans are underway to broaden the list of gender‑affirming procedures and strengthen the multidisciplinary programme, with the goal of reaching more transgender people through the government system.

Context

Gender‑affirming surgery in India has largely been limited to private centres, making it expensive for many. Public‑sector services like the one at OGH aim to reduce cost barriers and promote inclusive healthcare for the transgender community.