India's first transgender clinic in Hyderabad reopened; Tata Trusts revives facility shut after USAID froze funds
Now reopened as Sabrang Clinic, the community-run healthcare centre resumed services in May 2025 with support from the Tata Trusts, confirmed Subash Ghosh, project lead of the initiative. 'Once the USAID issue happened in January, we had to shut down operations. But we reached out to several philanthropic organisations and individuals. And, now, Tata Trusts is supporting us,' Dr. Ghosh told The Hindu in an exclusive conversation.
Launched in 2021 in Hyderabad's Narayanguda, Mitr Clinic broke new ground not only as a dedicated healthcare facility for transgender people, but also as the first in India to be entirely staffed and managed by trans community members . 'From doctors to clinic managers, everyone was from the community. We had seen over 3,000 patients since the clinic started, until we had to shut down,' Dr. Ghosh said.
A lifeline after USAID
The shutdown in January 2025 left many transgender people and other LGBTQIA+ community members without access to trusted, stigma-free healthcare. During the interim, the clinic team continued providing online consultations and medicine delivery support until new funding could be secured.
That lifeline arrived in April, when the Tata Trusts committed to supporting the clinic for three years. 'We got the confirmation in April, and operations resumed from May. They have committed ₹1,500 per person per year,' said Dr. Ghosh. Under the earlier USAID programme, funding stood at ₹1,900 per person per year
While the Tata Trusts now fully fund the clinic's core clinical team, senior staff positions are jointly supported by Tata and YRG Care, an NGO that was also associated with Mitr Clinic. 'We had to phase out some roles due to financial constraints, but we are actively reaching out to other donors to help us scale up again,' he added.
A government-inspired model took shape before closure
While Mitr Clinic was still operational, the Telangana government launched its own trans-inclusive health facilities in all the 33 districts, the Maitri Clinic, drawing on learnings from the Mitr model. 'We were already working closely with the Social Welfare Department and the Health Ministry. They took our approach forward,' said Dr. Ghosh. Though Maitri began a few months before Mitr Clinic's shutdown, both clinics coexisted briefly, each serving as a critical lifeline for the transgender and other members of LGBTQIA+ community.
Although the Sabrang team considered State support, they chose to independently restart operations to avoid further delays. 'Our clinic had more than just a physical space. We had online support systems, strong community outreach, and a trust network built over years. It was important to get that back quickly,' he said.
Why 'Sabrang'?
The name Sabrang, meaning 'all colours', signals a more expansive vision for inclusive healthcare. 'Earlier, we focused solely on transgender communities. But now we recognise that others, especially people from different marginalised groups, including queer and gender-diverse individuals face similar barriers to healthcare,' said Dr. Ghosh.
As India's first transgender-led clinic returns in a renewed form, its commitment remains unchanged: healthcare that is dignified, accessible, and community-driven. 'We have come back stronger, more inclusive, and more determined. It is still a space created by the community, only now, we are reaching more people who need it,' Dr. Ghosh said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- The Hindu
India's first transgender clinic in Hyderabad reopened; Tata Trusts revives facility shut after USAID froze funds
Months after Hyderabad's Mitr Clinic — India's first transgender-led health clinic — shut down following a funding freeze by USAID, the landmark facility has made a comeback albeit with a new name and renewed financial backing. Now reopened as Sabrang Clinic, the community-run healthcare centre resumed services in May 2025 with support from the Tata Trusts, confirmed Subash Ghosh, project lead of the initiative. 'Once the USAID issue happened in January, we had to shut down operations. But we reached out to several philanthropic organisations and individuals. And, now, Tata Trusts is supporting us,' Dr. Ghosh told The Hindu in an exclusive conversation. Launched in 2021 in Hyderabad's Narayanguda, Mitr Clinic broke new ground not only as a dedicated healthcare facility for transgender people, but also as the first in India to be entirely staffed and managed by trans community members . 'From doctors to clinic managers, everyone was from the community. We had seen over 3,000 patients since the clinic started, until we had to shut down,' Dr. Ghosh said. A lifeline after USAID The shutdown in January 2025 left many transgender people and other LGBTQIA+ community members without access to trusted, stigma-free healthcare. During the interim, the clinic team continued providing online consultations and medicine delivery support until new funding could be secured. That lifeline arrived in April, when the Tata Trusts committed to supporting the clinic for three years. 'We got the confirmation in April, and operations resumed from May. They have committed ₹1,500 per person per year,' said Dr. Ghosh. Under the earlier USAID programme, funding stood at ₹1,900 per person per year While the Tata Trusts now fully fund the clinic's core clinical team, senior staff positions are jointly supported by Tata and YRG Care, an NGO that was also associated with Mitr Clinic. 'We had to phase out some roles due to financial constraints, but we are actively reaching out to other donors to help us scale up again,' he added. A government-inspired model took shape before closure While Mitr Clinic was still operational, the Telangana government launched its own trans-inclusive health facilities in all the 33 districts, the Maitri Clinic, drawing on learnings from the Mitr model. 'We were already working closely with the Social Welfare Department and the Health Ministry. They took our approach forward,' said Dr. Ghosh. Though Maitri began a few months before Mitr Clinic's shutdown, both clinics coexisted briefly, each serving as a critical lifeline for the transgender and other members of LGBTQIA+ community. Although the Sabrang team considered State support, they chose to independently restart operations to avoid further delays. 'Our clinic had more than just a physical space. We had online support systems, strong community outreach, and a trust network built over years. It was important to get that back quickly,' he said. Why 'Sabrang'? The name Sabrang, meaning 'all colours', signals a more expansive vision for inclusive healthcare. 'Earlier, we focused solely on transgender communities. But now we recognise that others, especially people from different marginalised groups, including queer and gender-diverse individuals face similar barriers to healthcare,' said Dr. Ghosh. As India's first transgender-led clinic returns in a renewed form, its commitment remains unchanged: healthcare that is dignified, accessible, and community-driven. 'We have come back stronger, more inclusive, and more determined. It is still a space created by the community, only now, we are reaching more people who need it,' Dr. Ghosh said.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
US foreign aid cuts can cause 14M deaths by 2030
The dismantling of US foreign aid, imposed by the Donald Trump government, can lead to more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, including over 4.5 million children under five, warned a study published in The Lancet on Tuesday. The study estimates that the developmental programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) prevented 91 million deaths between 2001 and 2021 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Of these approximately 30 million were among children. The programmes by USAID -- the largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid worldwide -- were also associated with a 15 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality and a 32 per cent reduction in mortality among children under five. However, the recent US aid cuts could now put that progress at risk, noted the global study. It comes as President Trump's administration cancelled 83 per cent of all programmes at USAID, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March. 'Our projections indicate that these cuts could lead to a sharp increase in preventable deaths, particularly in the most fragile countries.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Lancet study projects US foreign aid cuts could result in over 1.4 crore preventable deaths globally
Steep funding cuts to the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ) could result in over 1.4 crore preventable deaths by 2030, a third of which could be among children aged under five, according to a study published in The Lancet journal. The study said the fund cuts could reverse decades of progress and that for many low and middle-income countries, the resulting shock would be comparable in scale to a "global pandemic" or a "major armed conflict". In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump's administration has cancelled 83 per cent of all programmes at USAID, the world's largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid. The cuts "risk abruptly halting -- and even reversing -- two decades of progress in health among vulnerable populations," study coordinator Davide Rasella, research professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in Spain, said. "For many low- and middle-income countries, the resulting shock would be comparable in scale to a global pandemic or a major armed conflict," Rasella said. The researchers also estimated that between 2001 and 2021, more than nine crore deaths in low and middle-income countries were prevented because of USAID-supported programmes. About a third of these were among children. "Our analysis shows that USAID funding has been an essential force in saving lives and improving health outcomes in some of the world's most vulnerable regions over the past two decades," first author Daniella Cavalcanti, a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, said. For the analysis, the researchers used models to forecast impacts due to two scenarios -- continuing funding at the 2023-level, or implementing the sharp reduction of 83 per cent announced in March 2025. "Current steep funding cuts could result in more than 1,40,51,750 additional all-age deaths, including 45,37,157 in children younger than age five years, by 2030," the authors wrote. The study also found that USAID-supported programmes were associated with a 15 per cent reduced all-cause mortality and a 32 per cent reduced death rates among children under five. Further, in countries receiving high levels of USAID support, the strongest impact was found in priority disease areas -- deaths from HIV/AIDS fell by 74 per cent, malaria by 53 per cent, and neglected tropical diseases by 51 per cent, compared to countries receiving low or no support. The research is the first comprehensive analysis to assess the impact of total USAID funding, including support for health care, nutrition, humanitarian aid, development, education, and related sectors, on mortality rates in low and middle-income countries over the past two decades, the study said.
