The Ministry of Health has recently approved the Hanoi-based National Hospital Pediatrics to be the second hospital in the country to offer transgender surgeries.

In February this year, the Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City was allowed to perform this kind of surgery, becoming the first to obtain such a license in Vietnam.

According the ministry, redefining gender by medical intervention is only permitted for people who have birth defects of the sex organs, and whose sex is difficult to be determined.  There is one person in every 11,000 having this kind of defect, the ministry’s statistics show.

This means transgender surgery is allowed only in the case of unidentified gender caused by genetic mutation, not caused by psychological elements.

The two hospitals are banned from performing transgender surgeries for people who have defined genders. The Hanoi–based Vietnam - Germany Hospital is now seeking the ministry’s permission for a transgender surgery permit.