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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Victoria Ngo, Resident Physician and Union Member from Committee of Interns and Residents
1:20:44
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94 sec
Dr. Victoria Ngo, a resident physician in New York City and member of the Committee of Interns and Residents union, testifies in favor of bills and resolutions protecting access to gender-affirming care. She shares her experiences treating transgender patients in Virginia and New York, emphasizing the importance of well-trained physicians and access to lifesaving care for patients of all gender identities.
- Highlights the contrast between her experiences in Virginia, where patients faced challenges accessing care, and New York, where she can provide comprehensive gender-affirming treatment
- Urges city council members to protect access to gender-affirming care to allow her to continue her work effectively
- Emphasizes that following global guidelines and local values recognizing gender diversity benefits everyone
Victoria Ngo
1:20:44
Thank you.
1:20:45
Victoria?
1:20:47
Hello, my name is Doctor.
1:20:49
Victoria Ngo, I use sheher pronouns.
1:20:51
I am a resident physician here in New York City and a member of my union, the Committee of Interns and Residents or CIR.
1:20:57
Thank you to the committee for holding this hearing and to the council members who sponsored these critical bills and resolutions.
1:21:02
I am testifying today in favor of the bills and the resolutions protecting access to gender affirming care.
1:21:07
Before I came to New York I started my medical training in Virginia and today I'm thinking of the patients that I met there.
1:21:13
I remember my patients who traveled hours to see us for gender affirming care and my patients who reached out in fear when our state policies were changing in 2022 and my patients who tried to end their lives when their dysphoria became too much.
1:21:25
But I also remember celebrating with my patients when they started the medications they needed and I remember getting to watch my patients grow into themselves.
1:21:33
I ended up coming here to New York to finish my training because I wanted to keep celebrating and caring for my patients in their whole selves.
1:21:39
Patients of all gender identities deserve well trained physicians to care for them and I knew I would get strong training in the city and I have.
1:21:46
Since coming here I've taken for granted that this is an environment where I'm able to do lifesaving care for patients.
1:21:52
I get to celebrate normal milestones with my patients like when they get to graduate college or get a new job instead of brainstorming ways to cope with their dysphoria because there's nothing else we can do.
1:22:01
In New York we follow global guidelines and local values because we know our gender diversity makes us better and we can't let that go.
1:22:09
I urge my city council members to protect access to gender affirming care so that I can keep doing my job and I hope the council will ultimately and quickly pass these bills and resolutions.
1:22:18
Thank you.
Farah Louis
1:22:18
Thank you.