Posted on 12/05/2007 5:43:34 AM PST by white trash redneck
OVERWORKED nurses have been ordered to stop all medical work five times every day to move Muslim patients’ beds so they face towards Mecca.
The lengthy procedure, which also includes providing fresh bathing water, is creating turmoil among overstretched staff on bustling NHS wards.
But despite the havoc, Mid- Yorkshire NHS Trust says the rule must be instigated whenever possible to ensure Muslim patients have “a more comfortable stay in hospital"
And a taxpayer-funded training programme for several hundred hospital staff has begun to ensure that all are familiar with the workings of the Muslim faith.
The scheme is initially being run at Dewsbury and District Hospital, West Yorkshire, but is set to be introduced at other hospitals in the new year.
It comes on the back of the introduction in some NHS hospitals last year of Burka-style gowns for Muslim patients who did not wish medical staff to see their face while operating or caring for them.
Last night critics slammed the procedure and claimed the NHS would be better off investing its resources in tackling killer superbugs such as C.diff and MRSA.
One experienced nurse working at Dewsbury said: “It would be easier to create Muslim-only wards with every bed facing Mecca than have to deal with this.
"Some people might think it is not that big a deal, but we have a huge Muslim population in Dewsbury and if we are having to turn dozens of beds to face Mecca five times a day, plus provide running water for them to wash before and after prayers, it is bound to impact on the essential medical service we are supposed to be providing."
“Although the beds are designed to be moved, the bays are not really suitable for having loads of beds moved around to face a different direction, and despite our best efforts it does cause disruption for non-Muslim patients.”
The changes have been instigated by Dewsbury and District Hospital’s chief matron, Catherine Briggs, after she held a series of consultation meetings with local Asian GPs, ethnic minority patients groups and Muslim chaplain Ilyas Dalal to find out what staff could do to further improve Muslim patients’ experience of the NHS.
In accordance with the rules of Islam, Muslims are required to pray five times a day. The religion dictates they must wash themselves in running water prior to prayer and must be facing in the direction of Mecca while praying. Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is revered as the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed, who was born around 570AD.
Turning beds so they face towards Mecca was a key proposal put forward during the hospital meetings, along with suggestions that Muslim women should only be seen by female doctors.
Although the Trust, which also oversees hospitals in Wakefield and Pontefract, could not guarantee women-only doctors, they agreed that “wherever possible” specific patient requests would be carried out.
Mrs Briggs said: “Some of our former Muslim patients suggested that a more informed understanding of the Islamic cultures would help staff to further improve their service.”
Last night Conservative MP David Davies said: “Hospitals should be concentrating on stopping the spread of infections than kow-towing to the politically correct brigade.
"If the need for fresh running water is so great then perhaps family members could be on hand to assist the already overworked medical staff."
It's hard to remember how valiantly the Brits held out against the Nazis during the Battle of Britain during WW2.
Absolutely insane!
They held out because Britain was a different country then, just the way America was.
This article illustrates one more shortcoming of two monstrous evils... socialism, and socialized medicine.
This is about the third posting of this article.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1934646/posts and another with a varied title.
What do you wanna bet that some muslim in the govt made this decision. If a decision was made to allow patients to worship Christianity there would be a great uproar.
“If a decision was made to allow patients to worship Christianity there would be a great uproar.”
What makes you think that patients are ‘not allowed’ to worship Christianity in hospital. I don’t recall ever visiting a hospital that didn’t have a chapel, at least.
Here is the Chaplaincy page for the health trust in question, if you’re interested:
http://www.midyorks.nhs.uk/Patients+and+visitors/Pastoral+Care/
That’s it. Keep making concessions to this trash. Keep political correctness on the march.
“What makes you think that patients are ‘not allowed’ to worship Christianity in hospital. I don’t recall ever visiting a hospital that didn’t have a chapel, at least.”
Do they turn the beds and stop providing medical care to help a Christian?
God protect us from government health care and the unholy nanny state.
The Islam/Mecca stuff is just getting out of hand (not your article LOL). Everyone everywhere is expected to bow down and do whatever Islamofascists say for fear of a lawsuit, or worse, death. It should have been stopped at the first spark. PC-ness will get us killed.
Next they’ll be putting their stupid, blank faces to the floor 5 times a day.
Madness rules the waves
“What makes you think that patients are ‘not allowed’ to worship Christianity in hospital. I don’t recall ever visiting a hospital that didn’t have a chapel, at least.”
Why do you think any requests from any other group requiring this much disruption would be given similar consideration?
That version was from yesterday. Freepers are no longer expected to do a search.
“Why do you think any requests from any other group requiring this much disruption would be given similar consideration?”
I’d imagine that a religious request from a patient would be accomodated if it were possible to do so. Which is all that has been suggested here, once you get past the headline.
I don’t think women should ware pants. Are they going to put skirts on before they come into my room? NO! Because mine is a Christian belief and I don’t blow up subways. I also don’t go nuts when someone who doesn’t share my convictions doesn’t adhere to them.
I wonder if the British know they’re all but lost.
Oh, and before I get flamed:
Deu 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God.
Keep in mind, this is Old Testament law and may or may not be applicable to New Testament Christians, but it shows God does have an opinion on the matter. That opinion hasn’t changed because God doesn’t change (Mal 3:6).
Within 5 minutes of your observation another identical thread has been started.
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