Punjab govt launches health card for transgenders

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider on Monday inaugurated the province’s first-ever health card for the transgender community at a ceremony at the Governor’s House.

A large number of transgender individuals attended the event, during which the governor himself handed out the health cards.

Speaking during the ceremony, Governor Haider stated that the transgender community has the right to enjoy equal access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities. “We have to ensure their inclusion at all levels of governance,” he stated, noting that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) “will be there with all communities in the country and will never leave any behind.

He recognized the ongoing challenges the transgender community faces in achieving acceptance and rights. The governor pointed out that actions like the NADNA Health Desk, skill development initiatives, education, and employment quotas are significant advancements for the community.

Through this health card, transgender members will be able to avail medical treatment worth as much as Rs. 600,000 in Punjab,” he stated, vowing the PPP’s ongoing commitment to solving the community’s problems.

Governor Haider underscored that health care, respect, and dignity are human rights. “This health card is not a card—it’s a promise of equality, convenience, and respect,” he stated. “For far too long, transgender people were ignored in hospitals. That ends today.”

Terming the move as an example of the PPP’s empathy and accommodation, the governor added that the Governor’s House would never be closed to the transgender community. “Our party, under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has always been on the side of the poor, the working class, and the marginalized,” he further said.

The members of the transgender community thanked the governor, stating that Sardar Saleem Haider was the first to invite them to the Governor’s House and initiate a health card scheme specifically focused on their well-being.