Exclusive: Gender Wellbeing Clinic To Outsource Psychiatric Services Resuming Appointments After Two Years
Malta’s Gender Wellbeing clinic has begun outsourcing essential psychiatric services from the private sector following an almost two-year-long stint without them.
The clinic’s psychiatrist had resigned back in July 2023 leaving new intakes without essential mental health services and access to gender-affirming surgery for which a psychiatrist’s go-ahead is necessary.
The Health Ministry told Lovin Malta that the procurement process for psychiatric services at the clinic has been finalised and it has resumed scheduling new intake appointments which had been on hold.
The ministry had sent out a recruitment call back in April 2024 but no suitable candidate emerged. Subsequently, it explored options to contract services from the private sector. These discussions have now concluded successfully, allowing appointments to restart.
Gender-affirming surgeries dropped by 42.9% between 2023 and 2024. The number jumped from four surgeries to seven between 2022 and 2023, and it went back down to four in 2024.
“We recognise the importance of these services to our clients, especially those awaiting psychiatric assessments to proceed with their surgical pathway. We are actively working to ensure that pending appointments are scheduled promptly.”
The gender-affirming surgeries that are provided as part of the transgender healthcare services locally include orchidectomy, hysterectomy and breast surgeries.
In October 2024, the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM), staged a demonstration and shed light on the realities faced by the community due to the lack in resources.
One person – Charlie – was referred to the Gender Wellbeing Clinic in early 2020, they began hormone therapy by the end of that year and was hoping to get on the waiting list for top surgery. When Charlie was finally scheduled to discuss top surgery with the psychiatrist – a necessary part of the procedure – the professional resigned.
Four years later, they were at the protest still waiting for an update.
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