India’s first transgender clinics in Hyderabad shut after Donald Trump’s USAID fund freeze

Following the freezing of funding for foreign aid projects by the Donald Trump administration through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), India’s initial three clinics catering to the transgender community in Hyderabad were closed last month, according to Reuters. The suspension of work from USAID has interrupted services for almost 5,000 individuals.

US President Donald Trump mandated a 90-day suspension on all overseas assistance while conducting a review to verify that all projects financed by US taxpayer money comply with his “America First” policy.

As per the report, the shuttered Mitr clinics are primarily operated by doctors, counselors, and other personnel from the transgender community. In response to the situation, Elon Musk, who co-leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), stated, “That’s what U.S. tax dollars were supporting.”

Other clinics can be found in Kalyan and Pune, Maharashtra. The Mitr Clinics offer services such as advice and medication for hormone therapy, mental health counseling, support for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and legal assistance, along with general healthcare, as stated on the clinic’s website according to the Reuters report.

Each one required as much as ₹30 lakh annually for operations and hired approximately eight staff members. A source informed Reuters that they were seeking alternative funding sources, either public or private.

The report noted that clinic organizers have obtained a waiver from USAID to continue specific life-saving activities, such as administering antiretroviral drugs to individuals infected with HIV. According to one source, as much as 10% of all clients at clinics are infected with HIV.