Hyderabad doctor becomes first transgender person to get admission in MD
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Hyderabad: Dr. Koyyala Ruth Paul John has become the first transgender individual to secure admission in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, specializing in Emergency Medicine at the ESI College in Hyderabad.
Dr. Ruth's remarkable accomplishment has been made possible through the combined efforts of her colleagues at the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and the Helping Hand Foundation-Support for Educational and Economic Development (HHF-SEED), who came forward to support her financially.
With their support, Dr. Ruth, an orphan, who had previously faced numerous challenges, is poised to realize her lifelong aspiration of attaining a master's degree in medicine.
Currently serving as a Medical Officer at OGH's Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) center, which specializes in HIV/AIDS care, Dr. Ruth has secured a government job last year alongside Prachi Rathod, another trans person.
This accomplishment marked a significant advancement for the transgender community in its pursuit of equitable opportunities within the government sector.
The hard-fought journey for Dr. Ruth began in Khammam. After completing her MBBS from Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences in 2018, she faced repeated rejections from 15 hospitals in Hyderabad.
After overcoming all the odds, Dr Ruth had completed her MBBS in 2018.
However, she had to battle discrimination, and after a long struggle secured an appointment in a government-run hospital.
The 28-year-old continued her fight and qualified in the NEET PG exam in 2021. She, however, was denied a seat under the transgender category and instead was shortlisted for counselling under the female category.
She argued that it was a violation of the Supreme Court’s NALSA judgement of 2014. The Supreme Court had recognised transgenders as third gender and provided reservations to them in admission to education institutions and jobs.
Dr Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), which regulates admissions in medical colleges in Telangana, informed her that her MBBS certificates and identities as per government documents were mismatched. Though she submitted the transgender ID certificate given by the Telangana government and other documents, but the authorities were not convinced.
She finally secured admission in ESI College. As she had to pay a fee of Rs 2.5 lakh, OGH Superintendent Dr B. Nagender took the initiative to mobilise the money. Doctors and other staff at OGH and the NGO contributed the required funds.
Dr Ruth thanked them for the help to continue her education and realise her childhood dream.
