In early May, India’s first healthcare clinic for trans people officially reopened under a new name following the closure of its three sites after President Donald Trump’s USAID funding cuts. Sabrang Clinic, previously known as Mitr Clinic, offered transgender individuals in India HIV and AIDS treatment, mental health support, and a dedicated trans space. The clinic reopened on May 2, with the financial backing of some of India’s multinational corporations.

In 2021, the clinic opened its first location in Hyderabad, a southern city in India. Later, it opened two additional clinics in Thane and Pune, located in the western areas of the country.

However, it was forced to close all its locations following President Trump’s executive order in January, pausing USAID funding to foreign programmes for 90 days. The funding cuts impacted numerous services all around the world. 

The move was widely criticised, as experts pointed out that cuts were most likely to impact HIV and AIDs research and programmes, enabling a stark increase in cases. 

Sabrang Clinic had been offering India’s 6,000 transgender people its services, and following the closure of the clinics, staff and patients came forward to newspapers like the BBC and the Indian Express to voice their devastation. While state and private hospitals do offer transgender individuals healthcare, many find that care from these hospitals is expensive and discriminatory. For many transgender individuals, the Sabrang Clinic offered judgment-free healthcare that was otherwise not present in India. 

In April, Tata Trust, a philanthropic branch of India’s Tata conglomerate, offered to fund the clinic for the next three years. With this funding, Mitr Clinic was renamed to Sabrang Clinic, meaning ‘Help for All’, and reopened. 

While the amount of money given to the clinic is less than what USAID offered, being able to reopen the clinic has been a victory for trans people in India. 

To make up for the gaps in funding, the clinic is searching for crowdfunding and potential donors to partner with. 

The clinic is managed by YR Gaitonde Center for AIDS Research and Education (YRGCARE), and the Chief Operating Officer, A.K. Srikirishnan, stated that the Sabrang Clinic is elated to be able to continue serving the trans community. 

“We have always believed that sexual minorities deserve respect and their right to self-expression,” said Srikishnan. “Sexual minorities are a reality, and however much someone wishes them away, they exist and need to exist with the respect and rights they deserve.”