Monday, February 04, 2008

Forearm lust

Female Muslim medics 'disobey hygiene rules' - Telegraph

Interesting story about concern in several English hospitals that female Muslim staff are refusing to expose their forearms for the purposes of a good handwashing. Which is a bit of a problem because medical authorities there have decided that, in the interest of reducing drug resistant bugs being spread by staff, hospital doctors and nurses are now to go "bare below the elbow". (The topic was the subject of a recent post here.)

From the article:

Dr Mark Enright, professor of microbiology at Imperial College London, said: "To wash your hands properly, and reduce the risks of MRSA and C.difficile, you have to be able to wash the whole area around the wrist.

"I don't think it would be right to make an exemption for people on any grounds. The policy of bare below the elbows has to be applied universally."

The Muslim medical association has different ideas:

"No practising Muslim woman - doctor, medical student, nurse or patient - should be forced to bare her arms below the elbow," it said.

Dr Majid Katme, the association spokesman, said: "Exposed arms can pick up germs and there is a lot of evidence to suggest skin is safer to the patient if covered. One idea might be to produce long, sterile, disposable gloves which go up to the elbows."

Oh come on. Surely with the fractious nature of teaching authority in Islam, they can round up at least a few religious leaders who will issue a fatwa to the effect that bare forearms, in the context of being in a hospital and not wanting to kill your patients, is a Good Thing. If your patients are sick enough, they are hardly going to get hot and bothered by the sight of a forearm, are they? (I can vaguely understand why a shapely calf was once considered sexy enough to hide; but just how much sex appeal can a forearm manage?)

As a conservative politician says:
"Perhaps these women should not be choosing medicine as a career if they feel unable to abide by the guidelines that everyone else has to follow."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Medicine is no good career choice for Muslim women. Not if they can't abide by regulations intended to keep patients safe and alive.

Yet another push to make life safe for some, but not for others.

I have no right to infringe on the religious belief of others, usually. But when their religious belief may jeopardize my life, I certainly do.