PATIENT REFUSES TO SEE A MUSLIM DOCTOR

Prejudice row at leading hospital

AN ELDERLY patient refused to be treated by two doctors at a major hospital as they were Muslim, it has emerged.

The extraordinary incident happened at Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, when she refused treatment by two consultants.

According to an online account by the patient’s daughter, the woman ‘knows enough as a “kuffar” [non-Muslim] to not allow a Muslim to treat her or have any hold over her medical care’.

The hospital said it could not comment on individual cases but added that its charter

‘guarantees the free profession and practice of religion by all associated with the hospital’. A spokesman added: ‘The hospital expects patients to respects these values of fairness and equity.’

Due to patient confidentiality, the spokesman was unable to respond to claims that the hospital had originally asked the patient in question to leave – and had been forced to back down after she questioned the legal validity of that demand.

However it said no patients were denied ‘appropriate treatments’.

The daughter of the patient concerned said that the family would be complaining.

In the Facebook post describing the affair, from an account named ‘Cailin Deas’, she wrote: ‘So my mam is in Tallaght hospital the last few days, today a consultant came to see her, she was wearing a hijab and black sack… so my Mam asked her the obvious, if she was a Muslim. The consultant replied that she was also a consultant. My Mam said she didn’t care, she didn’t want her involved in her medical care.

‘In walks another consultant, big black bearded man... guess what he was a Muslim too. My Mam stuck to her guns and said well they are just going to have to find me a non-Muslim consultant. I am in Dublin, Ireland, my home country surely that can’t be that hard.’

Astonishingly, the Facebook post even claimed ‘many nurses and patients’ at the hospital agreed with the woman’s refusal to be treated by a Muslim but ‘were too afraid to say anything’.

The daughter also wrote: ‘Hours pass and eventually someone comes into the ward to talk to my mam about it, she was told that they [Tallaght Hospital] had a board meeting and that the hospital runs a certain way and they were going to ask her to leave.

‘My Mam asked if there was a solicitor at the meeting? The doctor said no and my mam told her to come back to her when they had talked to one.

‘My mam is still there, still in a lot of pain and stressed.

‘I’m proud of her for speaking up for herself. She doesn’t know all the technical terms or best what to say but she knows enough as a “kuffar” to not allow a Muslim to treat her or have any hold over her medical care.’

The Facebook post – since deleted – gained a multitude of different views, ranging from people who supported the pensioner to others who cited the post as ‘racist’.

The daughter’s post also claimed that if her mother were a Muslim woman who refused to be seen by a man it would be considered her religious right and all attempts would be made to accommodate her.

‘My Mam like any sane person believes there is a conflict of interest when it comes to a Muslim doctor and a kuffar patient; after all we are not even seen as human,’ the woman claimed. ‘My Mam did not bring religion into the hospital, the consultant did.’

The daughter said: ‘Another patient had a go at my Mam over her “attitude” to not wanting a Muslim doctor and let’s just say a verbal fight quickly followed between the two.’

The hospital said: ‘Tallaght Hospital’s establishing charter guarantees the free profession and practise of religion by all associated with the hospital and in particular the members of staff.

‘These values are upheld by all staff and the hospital expects patients to respect these values.’

Shaykh Muhammad Umar AlQadri of the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council told the Mail: ‘This appears to be an isolated incident of an elderly woman who may not know exactly what she was saying.

‘We must remember that not all Irish people feel this hate towards the Muslim community.

‘When I am walking down the street in my robes, I have been greeted very positively by older Irish people who have a great understanding of our religion.

‘It is difficult for doctors to perform their duties as professionals when coming up against resistance like this while trying to carry out their duties of care.’

‘Not all Irish people have this hate’