Anbu Ruby Becomes A Role Model For The Transgender Tribe

It was a day of reckoning for 25-year-old Anbu Ruby, a transgender when she landed the job of a nurse in a government hospital in Tamil Nadu. It took her a whopping time span to live her dream of giving a precious gift to her community: She became the first staff nurse among the transgender community to be appointed in a Tamil Nadu’s government hospital.

An ecstatic Ruby received her appointment letter from state Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, amongst other fellow staff nurses, village health nurses and laboratory technicians, recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board.

A native of Thoothukudi, Ruby wanted to pursue nursing as a career so as to contribute to the humanitarian cause, thereby uplifting the prestige of the transgender community in the society at large.

After completing her B.Sc. Nursing from a private college in Tirunelveli, in 2016, Ruby pursued her MBA in Hospital Management through distance education and completed the course this year.

“I wanted to be a role model for my community battling the stigma of being a transgender by doing something special. Many of them should now come out of the paradoxical situation and achieve something incredible in their lives. I also wanted to serve society in my capacity and capability of a human being first. That is why I chose the noblest of the professions – nursing in particular,” she said with optimism writ large on her face.

Ruby too has batted odds coming her way like any other human being. Her father lost his eyesight when she was barely two years old. Her mother took care of her education and other needs. “My mother accepted me as I was born. All this could become possible only with her love and affection and her encouragement,” she said holding back tears.

“The general awareness about the community and its psychological needs is still wanting among the people, especially the medical fraternity” she said in a choking voice. “My first and foremost duty now on would be about creating general awareness among all sections of society about the community and its societal and psychological problems and perspective”

She was initially posted at a primary healthcare centre in the Tiruchi segment. However, the Chief Minister got her posted closer to her home keeping view her familial concerns. Ruby had to kick start her roller coaster journey from Thoothukudi Medical College.