TW: Suicide, medical negligence
On July 19, 2021, Anannyah Kumari, a trans woman in Kerala died by suicide shortly after speaking up about the unprofessionalism she was subjected to during her gender affirmation surgery at Renai Medi City Hospital. She described the pain and discomfort she had to bear due to the negligence of the doctors.
She had time and again raised her voice about how the surgery was a model of medical negligence and how hospitals charged huge sums of money despite their shoddy work.
“I am the victim of gross medical negligence. My private part looks like a piece of meat, it has no resemblance to a vagina. I want to conduct a re-surgery, I want justice.”
Anannyah was the first Indian trans woman from her community to have filed nomination papers to contest for Kerala Assembly elections. However, she had to withdraw from the elections because of the bias she faced while with the party.
Anannyah’s story is a story of struggling against the odds. She left home at the age of 18, begged, cleaned sewers, and worked in petrol bunks to make ends meet. She made it through to become a popular radio jockey, make-up artist, and stage show anchor. In her bid to create a safer environment for women, she had also approached political parties as an election candidate.
This is not an isolated case of trans people facing opposition to their very existence by a society that still upholds patriarchal notions of gender. She had voiced this in an interview saying, “There are scores of people who have been a victim of this. The money they pool in for surgeries is usually made through years of struggling through sex work and begging.” After putting in so much money and efforts, it is unfair that trans persons face such negligence and indifference for a service that they pay for.
Trans women deserve a safe space for themselves and their community. It is high time we hold the hospital and the doctors accountable for this gross medical negligence.
The Kerala police have already instructed the hospital not to take up any more such surgeries. However, the hospital is still denying its role in negligence.
With the protests, and the trans community calling out the negligence, let’s take a step forward to ensure that trans people receive better medical care.
SIGN THE PETITION TODAY ASKING THE HOSPITAL AND THE DOCTORS AT RENAI MEDI CITY to take responsibility for medical negligence.
SOURCES:
Insta page: @trintrin
Anannyah’s death: Kerala police tells Kochi hospital to stop Sex Reassignment Surgeries -- The News Minute
‘Anannyah was pushed out of the hospital twice’, Kerala trans woman’s father alleges -- The News Minute
Kerala Transwoman Death: RJ Anannyah's Partner Found Dead in Kochi -- The Quint
TW: Suicide, medical negligence
On July 19, 2021, Anannyah Kumari, a trans woman in Kerala died by suicide shortly after speaking up about the unprofessionalism she was subjected to during her gender affirmation surgery at Renai Medi City Hospital. She described the pain and discomfort she had to bear due to the negligence of the doctors.
She had time and again raised her voice about how the surgery was a model of medical negligence and how hospitals charged huge sums of money despite their shoddy work.
“I am the victim of gross medical negligence. My private part looks like a piece of meat, it has no resemblance to a vagina. I want to conduct a re-surgery, I want justice.”
Anannyah was the first Indian trans woman from her community to have filed nomination papers to contest for Kerala Assembly elections. However, she had to withdraw from the elections because of the bias she faced while with the party.
Anannyah’s story is a story of struggling against the odds. She left home at the age of 18, begged, cleaned sewers, and worked in petrol bunks to make ends meet. She made it through to become a popular radio jockey, make-up artist, and stage show anchor. In her bid to create a safer environment for women, she had also approached political parties as an election candidate.
This is not an isolated case of trans people facing opposition to their very existence by a society that still upholds patriarchal notions of gender. She had voiced this in an interview saying, “There are scores of people who have been a victim of this. The money they pool in for surgeries is usually made through years of struggling through sex work and begging.” After putting in so much money and efforts, it is unfair that trans persons face such negligence and indifference for a service that they pay for.
Trans women deserve a safe space for themselves and their community. It is high time we hold the hospital and the doctors accountable for this gross medical negligence.
The Kerala police have already instructed the hospital not to take up any more such surgeries. However, the hospital is still denying its role in negligence.
With the protests, and the trans community calling out the negligence, let’s take a step forward to ensure that trans people receive better medical care.
SIGN THE PETITION TODAY ASKING THE HOSPITAL AND THE DOCTORS AT RENAI MEDI CITY to take responsibility for medical negligence.
SOURCES:
Insta page: @trintrin
Anannyah’s death: Kerala police tells Kochi hospital to stop Sex Reassignment Surgeries -- The News Minute
‘Anannyah was pushed out of the hospital twice’, Kerala trans woman’s father alleges -- The News Minute
Kerala Transwoman Death: RJ Anannyah's Partner Found Dead in Kochi -- The Quint
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Hold Kochi hospital accountable for medical negligence in gender affirmation surgery
