The Egyptian Medical Syndicate (EMS) organized a new oversight committee, which it mentioned to be constituted of “Top Doctors and Consultants” for the control of “sex change operations”.
Dr. Ahmad Imam, General Manager of the Medical Association, said that the association decided organizing the committee so that it could be consented before “sex change operations” take place.
Imam warned the doctors not to conduct such operations without first consulting with the committee that the association formed, so that the violating doctors not be subjected to legal proceedings. He explained that the committee includes a fine selection of professors and consultants in the specialties of genetics, “masculinity diseases”, psychology, neurology, general surgery and a member of the Egyptian Islamic Legislation Authority.
Dr. Saeed Sayyed, Rapporteur of the Media Committee of the Medical Association, said that the doctor violating the association’s decision in this matter will be transfered to a “disciplinary committee” to be investigated, and this committee will determine his punishment according to the magnitude of the problem.
Sayyed points that the association saw violations occurring due to “scientific reasons”, such as not determining the chromosomes of the patient and whether they were “compatible” with his external appearance, explaining that “it might be the psychological state that is in control of the patient to change his sex”.
By: Mohamed Abdul-Khaleq Musahel
Source (Arabic): Al-Masry Al-Youm Newspaper
Editor’s Comment:
It’s worth noting that the Egyptian Medical Association has long banned the sex reassignment (or gender confirmation) surgery for transsexuals, especially after the infamous case of Dr. Ezzat Ashamallah’s operation on Sally Mursi more than 20 years ago, with allegations such as it being a “crime against nature and God’s will to change his creation”.
As a result, we have written a lengthy petition (on 1st of February) aimed mainly at the EMS and a few other local NGOs including the National Council for Human Rights, and still await any official response from the EMS.
The transcript of our letter (in Arabic) can be found on the Arabic version of our site.
