A plan for the care of transgender people will be launched in the coming weeks, which will look at how they can access various services including re-assignment surgery.

A legal notice offering further services to transgender clients was launched this week, Health Minister Chris Fearne said.

The notice offers services to transgender clients and a multidisciplinary team has been formed to work towards better access to hormone therapy.

“This is not a question of one person, but multiple people, such as psychologists and endocrinologists,” Dr Fearne said.

He was speaking at a conference called 'Looking at health through the gender kaleidoscope' organised by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses.

In the coming days, an expression of interest for further training would be launched, Dr Fearne said.

Following laments about the gender dysphoria clinic being close to Mount Carmel, the health minister said a new building would be found.

Dr Fearne also said transgender people would be able to access hormone therapy for free, as the condition has now been recognised for the purpose of Schedule V.

Other forms of therapy, such as gender reassignment therapy, would still need to be done outside the country, he said, adding that the government is discussing with Iceland and Canada the possibility of sending people for gender reassignment surgeries.