British Muslim Female Medics Face Tough Choices

Sorry about this trifecta of Islamism in the UK this morning, but these keep coming in.

The choice? Obey Allah, or risk infecting a patient with MRSA or something similarly as nasty.

That proper sanitation before a surgical procedure is even an issue because of religious reasons, vividly illustrates the problem with multiculturalism and political correctness, in my opinion.

Muslim medical students are refusing to obey hygiene rules brought in to stop the spread of deadly superbugs, because they say it is against their religion.

Women training in several hospitals in England have raised objections to removing their arm coverings in theatre and to rolling up their sleeves when washing their hands, because it is regarded as immodest in Islam.

Universities and NHS trusts fear many more will refuse to co-operate with new Department of Health guidance, introduced this month, which stipulates that all doctors must be "bare below the elbow".

The measure is deemed necessary to stop the spread of infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile, which have killed hundreds.

Experts world-wide agree that before an invasive medical procedure, the proper way to scrub to reduce the risk of an infection is to wash the hands and all the way up the forearms to the elbow. The Islamic Medical Association disagrees, however:

"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."

If these are the kind of medical professionals that come with a socialist health care system, I would rather visit a Polynesian witch-doctor.

-Tommy