Is Sri Lanka performing gender-change procedures on children?

Colombo, May 21 (Daily Mirror) - A controversy has arisen in Sri Lanka following claims questioning whether gender-change procedures are being carried out on children in the country’s hospitals.

The issue was originally raised by Elle Gunawansa Thero during a television programme, where he alleged that gender reassignment procedures were taking place in government hospitals.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, he further claimed that such procedures had been carried out in government hospitals a few years ago and were now taking place in some private hospitals where changes were being made to make boys as girls and vice versa.

In response, authorities at the Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo have vehemently denied the allegations.

Hospital Director Dr. Ajith Dantanarayana clarified in a letter to the Director General of Health Services that no gender reassignment procedures were performed on children at the hospital or within the public healthcare system.

“As the Director of the hospital, I responsibly state that no such activity is taking place in this institution,” he said, rejecting the claims as false and misleading.

He further noted that the hospital is prepared to cooperate with any official investigation if required and urged the authorities to take steps to prevent the spread of misinformation.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association, Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa, told Daily Mirror that gender-transition surgeries on children are not performed in Sri Lanka. 

Dr. Sugathadasa stressed that medical procedures carried out in state hospitals strictly follow established legal and ethical guidelines.

Internationally, medical care related to gender identity in minors is a highly debated and strictly regulated area. In most countries where it is permitted, treatment is typically limited to psychological assessment and, in some cases, reversible puberty-blocking medication for adolescents under specialist supervision.

Surgical procedures for minors are rare, heavily restricted and generally not part of standard medical practice. Medical guidelines in many jurisdictions emphasise careful diagnosis, parental involvement, and long-term psychological evaluation before any intervention is considered.