'Burka style hospital gown' *updated*

The Daily Express attempts to create a panic over a new design of hospital gowns.

Aiming to provide more modesty to patients, anti-PC activist Philip Davies, a Conservative MP, said it would create resentment:

"This may be viewed as a reasonable request from one particular group of patients but what I would like to ask is where does that request lie in a hospital’s priorities?" he said. "It is another example of political correctness because it is the sort of thing that has been brought in because the words ‘faith’ and ‘race’ have been mentioned.

"The average patient on a ward will look at this and be resentful because they will say to themselves: ‘This has been brought in because it is a Muslim request’.

"They themselves may have other requests, like more visiting hours, more flexible meal times or a brighter lamp for their bedside table, but they know they’ve got less chance of achieving this. A burka-style hospital gown is only high on the priority list because of the politically correct world we live in."

Or he could also have instead said:

"Muslims need to realise that it essential that they uncover their bums at hospitals if they are to integrate properly."

Why is it that any issue regarding Muslims needs to cause such a fuss? No one is saying that these new gowns won't be available to non-Muslims. The NHS aren't going to ask for a testimony of faith from patients requesting it. I'd imagine a good deal of non-Muslims also think that the current gown situation leaves a lot to be desired.

Inventor Karen Jacob said: "I noticed a gap in the market and thought that it would be great if there was a gown that helped to preserve a patient’s modesty."

I know a lot of Muslim patients who haven't been happy with the exposure. I'm not sure the whole burka over the face is necessary but perhaps it has different sections. The self-styled "world's greatest newspaper" didn't tell us.

UPDATE 07/09/06: Not understating the case at all, the Express have today said that this new gown will lead to suicide bombings:

The Daily Express revealed yesterday that a burka-style garment is being introduced in hospitals to allow Muslim women to wear the dress of the oppressed. The readership of this newspaper was horrified: in a poll, 96 per cent said that there should not be an exception for any ethnic group. And how do hospitals across the country respond to this? By extending the scheme. There can be no fudge about this: it is absolutely clear that the majority of the British people do not want this offensive apparel to appear on our hospital wards. It is also clear that, just as they have done so often in the past, the powers that be are going to ignore the people and press on with plans designed to keep Muslim culture apart from ours. This wicked policy has already resulted in homegrown British suicide bombers. We must not let this nonsense go ahead.

Comments

[Bilal Patel]

You would have thought that with all the fuss over MRSA and superbugs, the Express would welcome something that kept people covered up like this. More hygienic you see.

[DrM]

Much ado about nothing. I'm an MD and can tell you that what the patient says goes...if they want a extra layer of covering on them, that their choice and nobody else's business.

[joe90]

I notice the mugshot of the shifty looking butler is placed directly above the offending article - the gown I mean rather than the example of another of a Politically Conservative blatt scribbler gone mad!

By the way,
how many billions of taxpayers pounds have been wasted on massacres in Iraq and Afghanistan, when the money could have been spent on domestic luxuries at hime like, say, oh I don't know, the NHS for instance?

[joe90]

Thanks for that DrM,
I was just about to ask for a second opinion!

All the best mate!

[bob]

Read this:

Fury as academics claim 9/11 was 'inside job' - The Times

Who really blew up the twin towers? - The Guardian

If this comes out then that means he killed all those people for nothing but a false flag operation. Brilliant.

[Yakoub/Julaybib]

The Express will use any excuse to stick an Islamophobic headline on their front page. Its pathetic, its racist.

[Ted]

LOL. Looks like a Ku Klux Klan outfit!

Is the fact that it's in the Express mean we can safely ignore it as invented twaddle?

[Yasmin Mahdi]

DrM,
not sure you're right there - I've frequently wanted to wear a couple of gowns on top of each other in hospital and my request has been declined.

[Chunky Lafunga]

Dr M are you doctor Maxtor the blogger? If you are then that thing you wrote about people trying to denigrate Dr Naik on wikipedia is so true! And the freaky thing is I was on wikipedia earlier today and I noticed it, then abt an hour later I came across your blog and you had said exactly what I was thinking! *applauds*

[DrM]

Yasmin, you probably misunderstood me. In the US the patient is the boss, within reasonable bounds ofcourse. My point is that I dont see anything wrong with an extra layer of clothing, its not going to break down discipline in the hospital nor do I think that people will racing to impersonate the ill or dying. Yes I am indeed DrMaxtor, Chunky. Yeah, Wiki did a hitjob on Dr.Naik, it was probably written by Ali Sina the islamophobe. Thanks for the kind words and do leave feedback.