Updated | Health service seeking collaboration with foreign hospitals for gender reassignment surgery

Government aims to provide free gender-related healthcare services for transgender people, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne says

Transgender healthcare services are on the government's agenda
Transgender healthcare services are on the government's agenda

The public health service is gearing up to improve access to services for transgender issues and gender dysphoria, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne said.

He was speaking at a conference on healthcare and gender-based issues on Thursday morning, organised by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses and the Learning Institute for Healthcare Professionals.

Fearne said that a legal notice published last week included a programme to help improve access to gender-based healthcare.

"The aim is for transgender people to have access to services without pay," he said, adding the conference coincided with government's decision to release consultation documents on the matter.

The first step was to put together a multidisciplinary team, Fearne said. He noted that the discussion on trans issues was not one that relied on just one professional. The discussion would need to involve a team of psychiatrists, specialised nurses, surgeons, and other specialists such as urologists.

Fearne also said that the gender dysphoria clinic which was located close to Mt Carmel hospital will be located in a more suitable location.

He recognised that the services would also have an element of surgery, some of which he said could happen at Mater Dei. However, other aspects of surgery would have to take place abroad, such as gender reassignment surgery.

"To this effect, the government is working with foreign countries such as Iceland and Canada and in the coming weeks a team from Iceland would be visiting Malta to assess the situation," Fearne said.

Documents yet to be released will also tackle other aspects of holistic transgender issues such as speech therapy and hair removal, he said.

Legal notice granting more services to transgender people

In a statement, the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Health minister said that a legal notice had been published that amended the fifth schedule of the Social Security Act.

"Through this legal notice, transgender people will be entitled to free gender indentity medical services," read the statement.