Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi of Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to arrange separate rooms in Out-Patient Departments at all public hospitals for treatment of transgender community. The judge was hearing a petition filed by advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhary. Petitioner submitted that transgender persons were given discriminatory treatments in every field of life and even being denied medical facilities at public hospitals. He said that at least one million transgender persons lived in Punjab but the government had failed to provide them fundamental rights of medical care. He said Supreme Court had already issued an order to reserve a separate ward and room in OPD for transgender persons in public hospitals but the same had not be done so far. He prayed to provide free medical aid at separate wards for them. Furthermore, the LHC ordered the Punjab Health Department to submit its recommendations on providing healthcare facilities to transgender persons by September 26. The judge remarked that the recommendations must be implemented before September 30. Published in Daily Times, September 20th 2018.