Dr Koyyala Ruth John Paul, who completed her MBBS and MD while overcoming challenges as a transgender woman, has joined the Employees’ State Insurance Hospital in Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, as a senior resident in emergency medicine.
Dr Ruth told Deccan Chronicle that the position is contractual and will pay nearly Rs 1 lakh a month. She said she would later have to apply for an assistant professor post when the government releases vacancies.
She described the appointment as a significant step after struggling to secure admission to an MD programme. According to Dr Ruth, colleagues initially believed she might find it difficult to work with them, but their attitude changed within a few months. She said colleagues began addressing her as “Ruth madam”, which she described as an honour.
Dr Ruth said she had sustained herself during her training on low stipends and that her family was now happy she would be able to earn. Her account highlights the professional and financial barriers that can shape access to medical education and hospital employment for transgender people.
She also said that another transgender person in Andhra Pradesh was currently seeking an opportunity in the medical field. Dr Ruth said members of the community shared case files and encouraged one another to pursue careers in medicine, adding that opportunities existed but often required candidates to overcome significant difficulties.
Her appointment places a transgender doctor in a public healthcare institution that serves insured workers and their families. The senior-resident role will also give her clinical experience in emergency medicine, although its contractual nature means that her next position will depend on future vacancies and the application process.
Dr Ruth said becoming a doctor and serving people had always been her ambition. Her appointment at the Sanathnagar ESI Hospital marks the latest stage in that career, while the prospect of an assistant professor post remains linked to the release of government vacancies.
