Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Kerala unit on Thursday denied permission to seven MBBS students of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College for wearing hijab inside the operation theatre (OT).
IMA Kerala unit president Zulfi M Nuhu said that the patient is the most important person in the OT and protocols are in place to prevent him/her from getting infected. The IMA Kerala unit is of the opinion that everyone should accept and follow the protocols.
On June 26, the MBBS students had written a letter to principal Dr Linnette J Morris seeking permission to don long-sleeve scrub jackets and hijab-like surgical hoods inside the OT. The letter, handed over by Afifa NA, a 2020 MBBS batch student, stated that hijab is compulsory for Muslim women as per their religious beliefs but the existing rules do not allow them to cover their heads inside the OT. The letter was signed by seven female students of the 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022 batches of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.
After receiving the letter, the principal formed an expert committee to look into their demand. Nuhu said that full-sleeve clothes cannot be allowed inside the OT as proper sterilisation measures have to be ensured here. Hands should always be cleaned upto the elbow before surgery and so half-sleeve dresses are worn inside the OT, he said.
Certain protocols are in place to ensure a sterile environment during surgery, he said. The issue raised by the students will be discussed with the infection control team and a decision will be taken soon, Dr Morris said adding that a response in this regard will be given to the students within ten days.
