Mumbai: The successful Genital Reconstruction Surgery (GRS) of Lalit Salve has given rise to a number of inquiries at St George Hospital. According to doctors, at least 12 persons have approached the hospital for GRS after Salve. So much so, that the hospital has started an exclusive “Gender Reassignment and Cosmetology” outpatient department (OPD), which is open every Tuesday though it will be officially inaugurated next month.
Dr Madhukar Gaikwad, medical superintendent of the hospital, said, “This kind of response encouraged us to start a separate and special OPD where one suffering from gender-related issues, queries can seek an opinion, show reports, and line up for pre-surgery procedures in cases of gender reassignment and genital reconstruction.”
Dr Gaikwad said, “Some have called in while many have visited us. Among the new cases are a 35-year-old from Assam, a 20-year-old from Pune, and a five-year-old from Beed.” The spotlight was shone on Salve’s case when he was refused leave by the police department for the procedure. Salve fought for several months and eventually went under the knife in May when the first surgery was performed on him. The overall procedure may require about a year, and Salve is likely to come down to Mumbai for the next surgery soon. Given that the entire process requires many surgeries, it gets expensive in a private hospital. However, in a public setup like St George Hospital, the cost is heavily subsidised.
GRS are commonly carried out on people raised as the opposite gender due to underdeveloped or ambiguous genitalia, congenital malformations, and trauma due to accidental injuries. Sex change is opted for by people who want to be the opposite of the gender they are born with.
