Disposable Hijab, Muslim Medical Officer Solution In UK

Doctor Farah Roslan with her supervising doctor Gill Tierney (doc. BBC)

JAKARTA - For a doctor, maintaining cleanliness is the most important thing when performing medical procedures in an operating room. This is also a challenge for Muslim doctors, especially women who wear the hijab.

The good news is, a hospital in England has a solution for Muslim female doctors who wear hijab in the operating room. They introduced a disposable hijab that doctors and medical personnel can use to keep it sterile.

Launching from the BBC, the idea of a sterile hijab emerged from doctor Farah Roslan who is practicing at the Royal Derby Hospital, England. Farah is worried that the hijab she wears every time she enters the operating room will be very susceptible to infection from clothes.

"I have been wearing it (the same hijab) all day which is definitely not clean and ideal. I feel uncomfortable having to remove it and I was once removed from the operating room with respect to avoid infection," Farah said in an interview, quoted by the BBC on Wednesday. 18 December 2019.

Farah said that this is also a way out for Muslims to keep on dressing in syar'i and still be able to do their jobs in the operating room. For the design and test of the hijab fabric, Farah returned to Malaysia, the country of her birth which incidentally is a country with Islamic priorities.

"I am very happy and can't wait to find out if we can provide this hijab nationally," added Farah.

Meanwhile, Consultant surgeon Gill Tierney, who is also Farah's doctor at the hospital, said that this disposable hijab can be a solution for female doctors in the UK to keep their genitals and confidence in carrying out medical procedures.

"We know this issue is not often discussed in operating theaters across the country and I don't think it will be dealt with officially. The hijab doesn't cost much and hopefully it will have a huge impact," said Gill Tierney.

The Royal Derby Hospital said that the disposable hijab was available in early December 2019.