VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Health has just assigned three hospitals to be responsible for ruling on gender reassignment operations.

Pham Van Hiep after transgender surgery.

The Viet Duc Hospital and National Hospital of Paediatrics in Hanoi and Children’s Hospital No. 2 in HCM City will be responsible for preparing their facilities and personnel to meet the ministry’s licensing criteria by March 31.

According to the Ministry of Health, Government Decree 88, issued in 2008, contained provisions on gender reassignment. In 2010 the ministry issued a circular guiding the implementation of some articles in the decree.

However, no hospitals had offered to provide examination services for gender assignment, despite existing laws allowing people to seek sex change operations.

The Ministry of Health requested the HCM City Department of Health to instruct Children’s Hospital No. 2 to redefine a previous male local in Binh Phuoc Province as a woman following the decision.

Pham Van Hiep was originally recognised as a woman by Chon Thanh District’s People Committee following her gender reassignment operation abroad.

However, the provincial people’s committee decided to over-rule the district recognition of Hiep’s obvious gender change based on their interpretation of Government Decree 88 which banned people with no gender ‘problems’ from having the right to change gender.

In addition the provincial authorities decided to take the decision to punish district level staff that had originally recognised Hiep’s gender reassignment.

Source: DTriNews