Pune: Members of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQI) community will soon have access to a database of LGBTQI-friendly doctors in Pune and Maharashtra, so that they can approach them for medical problems without the fear of being shunned.
 
Due to low accessibility to healthcare and fear of discrimination, LGBTQI community often shies away from approaching the medical system. The database is being compiled by Samapathik Trust run by LGBTQI activist, Bindhumadhav Khire.

“Our target is to have at least one such doctor in every district of Maharashtra by the end of 2019,” Khire said. “The trust is taking consent letters from these doctors who are sensitive and friendly towards the community, to allow us to publish their names in public. With the help of this list, the concerned individual can approach the doctor without any hesitation. After partially scrapping section 377, many doctors are coming out to be recognised as LGBTQI-friendly doctors.”

Khire said that there are doctors who treat the community members badly, and also advice them prescription stating that their gender problems can be medically solved.
 
Lack of awareness
Dr Sachin Melingri, HIV specialist and working with KEM Hospital is one of the doctors in the database.

Speaking to Sakal Times, he said, “There is lack of awareness about health treatments, especially in transgender and gay individuals. They are at high risk of exposure of HIV or sexually transmitted disease.” 

He lamented the lack of specific anal condoms in the market. 

“The situation is adverse in case of a transgender, a cross dressing member or a queer because they are easily identifiable member of this community,” he said. He feels Pune is still better in terms of less homophobic doctors than many other cities.

Mental health
Mayuresh Baji, a gay entrepreneur from Pune, highlighted that issues like relationship problems, workplace discrimination, bullying and isolation impact mental health of a person. 

“It will definitely be easier and helpful, if we know which doctor to approach and he/she will not prejudice our gender choice,” Baji said.

“After abolition of Section 377, many have come forward to seek medical treatment. To provide an inclusive healthcare facilities to the LGBTQI community, we have signed an MoU with Samapathik Trust,” said Jyoti Shetty, Professor and Head of Psychiatry Department at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College. 

LGBTQI-friendly doctors’ database

• The database will also consist of community-friendly clinics, psychologists and psychiatrists and HIV specialists. 
• The list is being created based on recommendations by known LGBTQI-friendly doctors in the city.
• Psychiatrists including Dr Kaustubh Jog, Dr Bhooshan Shukla and KEM Hospital’s Dr Arvind Panchanadikar are among those who have given the consent letter to the trust.
• By February 15, the first list of doctors’ names will be published on the Samapathik Trust website. 
• Samapathik Trust and Bharati Hospital, run by Bharati Vidyapeeth, are working together for referrals of LGBTQI members, rendering services like sexual orientation issues, depression, gender identity assessment and hormone therapy.