Health Ministry slammed over Muslim nurses’ dress code
Cape Town - The Islamic Medical Association of South Africa (Imasa), with the Cape Town Ulama Board and other Islamic bodies, has requested exemptions for Muslims after the recent issuing of the national Department of Health’s National Nurses Uniform Policy Dress Code.
In July, the department issued a circular to inform provincial heads of health of the implementation of the policy and, in mid-August, the different Muslim organisations lodged objections, which have still not been responded to.
By the time of writing, the ministry had not replied to queries from the Cape Argus sent on Wednesday morning, and a reminder email and WhatsApp sent yesterday.
Annexure A of the circular specifically says: “Head scarves are not allowed while on duty”, and a “moustache and beard must be neatly trimmed and should be aligned to mask fitness testing prescripts of occupational health.”
In a letter to the Health Director General Dr Sandile Buthelezi, dated August 17, Imasa president Dr Mohammed Irshad Moosa said his organisation represented more than 2 000 health-care workers throughout the country, and they had serious reservations about the prohibition of nurses wearing headscarves.
“Headscarves hold immense cultural and religious significance for many individuals, serving as symbols of identity, modesty, and personal faith,” he said.
Moosa said denying nurses the right to wear headscarves could have negative consequences on diversity and inclusion as it could discourage individuals from certain backgrounds from pursuing nursing as a career.
On August 7, the Council of Muslim Theologians Secretary-General Moulana Ebrahim Bham wrote to the health Director General to say Islam had set certain standards that mirror its expectations as far as modesty, decency and cleanliness were concerned.
In his letter to Buthelezi, dated August 15, United Ulama Council of SA Secretary-General Yusuf Patel said they agreed a dress code for nurses was understandably necessary to ensure hygiene, safety, patient comfort, and professionalism.
“We, however, humbly request you to ensure the Uniform Policy is sufficiently flexible to allow for the simultaneous fulfilment of religious obligations in terms of the dress code.”
Exco member of the Cape Town Ulama Board, Shaykh Sayed Ridhwaan, said he was disappointed by the lack of response from the Health Ministry.
“This lack of response gives the impression that they are not taking the concerns of the Muslim community in South Africa seriously. It is important for government departments to address and respond to the concerns of all citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation. This lack of acknowledgement only serves to perpetuate feelings of marginalisation and neglect within the Muslim community.”
In 2020 the SANDF faced a similar problem when it charged clinical forensic pathologist Major Fatima Isaacs in military court on the issue of wearing her Muslim headscarf (hijab) under her uniform beret.
The matter was settled when the SANDF withdrew the charges and said there would be no further action taken against her as long as she agreed to ensure the headscarf was worn under her uniform beret and was “plain in colour, tight and did not cover her ears.”
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za