Jammu: Nursing interns at Government Medical College and Nursing Home in Doda started a protest alleging that they were not allowed to enter the Gynaecology Department labour room if they were wearing a burqa.
According to reports, on 30 September the protest was staged against Dr. Madhu Chib, who is the Head of the Gynaecology Department at Doda Medical College. The protest erupted after Dr. Chib allegedly asked a medical intern to leave the labour room wearing a head veil that was attached to her burqa.
An intern told NDTV, "On Thursday, we saw two students standing outside the labour room on the same grounds."
She said that removing the veil could interfere with their religious matters and beliefs.
The students alleged that similar objections had been raised against other students wearing burqas or abayas.
The protesting students also sought an apology from Dr. Chib and demanded an inquiry into the allegations.
The protest was called off after the hospital management stepped in.
A 7-member inquiry panel was set up by the management to inquire into and investigate the whole situation. They looked into the matter to understand what circumstances led to the protest.
Police also held discussions with the protesting students and urged them to call off the agitation, according to India Today.
The committee was constituted after the administration received a written complaint alleging that a doctor had asked a student to remove her abaya.
According to in-charge medical superintendent Dr. Irfan Tassaduq, Dr. Chib’s instructions were simply for interns to tuck in loose clothing and put on a gown, as required by labor room and operating theater protocols.
He also said that doctors need to follow strict protocols because hygiene matters the most in such circumstances, because the labour room area is very sensitive and they could not put the patients at risk of getting infected.
The protest has ended, but the situation has gained a lot of political attention with Doda MLA Mehraj Malik raising the issue with Health Minister Sakina Itoo.
The National Conference chief spokesperson said that everyone is allowed to practice their religion according to the Constitution.
He said, "Whether a woman chooses to wear a hijab or not is a matter of her personal choice and autonomy, and no one should impose restrictions on it.”
(Rh/ARC/MSM)
