No More Strict NHS Hygiene Rules For Muslim Doctors and Nurses In The U.K.

If your illness doesn't kill you, a stay in the hospital just might. Although the number of deaths from drug-resistant bacteria, like the superbug MSRA, have somewhat dropped in the past few years it is still a major problem in hospitals worldwide, especially in England.

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We can probably attribute the drop in deaths to a major effort on the part of hospital staff to ensure that patients have a clean and sanitary environment during their hospital stay. This means making sure the staff treating the patients and those visiting them adhere to strict hygiene measures. Hospitals in Britain, in an effort to stem the problem of death-by-bacteria, have instituted the mandatory use of anti-bacterial gels for visiting friends and families of patients. And one of the major rules of hygiene for doctors is to scrub from the elbow down. But the observant Muslim population is refusing to comply on both counts. Some are refusing to use the anti-bacterial gels because they contain alcohol, and female doctors are refusing to bare their elbows because I guess those elbows and hands might drive some sick, half dying person on the operating table to lust after them. I find both absolutely ridiculous. Alcohol has been used for eons as a major disinfectant. Are these people asking the nurses not to disinfect the instruments in alcohol, because that too is haram?

In the past, it has been predicted that since the problem with superbugs is such a major issue in the U.K., they will probably never get rid of it, which means that more people will die unnecessarily from something that could be prevented. And the number of cases will probably rise once again, since the U.K. government has just caved in to Muslim demands pertaining to modesty issue .

Female staff who follow the Islamic faith will be allowed to cover their arms to preserve their modesty despite earlier guidance that all staff should be "bare below the elbow".

The Department of Health has also relaxed rules prohibiting jewellery so that Sikh members of staff can wear bangles linked with their faith, providing they are pushed up the arm while the medic treats a patient.

The Mail on Sunday reported the change had been made after female Muslims objected to being required to expose their arm below the elbow under guidance introduced by Alan Johnson when he was health secretary in 2007.

The rules were drawn up to reduce the number of patients who were falling ill, and even dying, from superbugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

Revised guidance which relaxed the requirements for some religions was published last month.

Some Muslim staff and those from other groups may be allowed to use disposable plastic over-sleeves which cover their clothes below the elbow and allow the skin to remain covered up.

Derek Butler, chairman of MRSA Action UK, said: "My worry is that allowing some medics to use disposable sleeves you compromise patient safety because unless you change the sleeves between each patient, you spread bacteria.

"Scrubbing bare arms is far more effective."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The guidance is intended to provide direction to services in how they can balance infection control measures with cultural beliefs without compromising patient safety."

Everyone knows that there are certain procedures that doctors are meant to comply with for health and safety reasons. If someone has a problem, because of their religion, whatever religion might be, then those people should consider another profession where they are not required to follow certain rules and regulations. Thankfully, I don't live in England, because I would be forced to run the other way if I saw someone who I assumed had not scrubbed their arms. There are certain locations where one's religious compulsions have no place, and a hospital is one of those. In this case, the safety of the patient supersedes their need for modesty.