Authorities of the Maamobi General Hospital are insisting that they never sacked any Muslim nurse for wearing a hijab to work.
Habiba Ahmed was reportedly sacked by authorities of the hospital for wearing her hijab to work on Tuesday.
[contextly_sidebar id=”6WkhpOxpNsTiCRnn1ytSmdXHuDCsP6gV”]She claimed that not even a reference letter from the Ministry of Health she presented was accepted.
“Around half past noon [Tuesday], the principal nurse came in and called me. She asked why I was still in my hijab because there was an incident that happened last week. She asked us to remove our hijab which we did so today she asked why didn’t I listen to what she told me… she asked me to follow her and told me to take my bag along because maybe I may not come back to the unit,” she narrated.
But authorities of the hospital insist that though they did not ask Habiba to go home, they said she has an several occasions flouted the dressing code in the nursing profession.
Habiba flouted the dressing code
The Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr. Doreen Anfu – Okine in an interview with Citi News emphasized that Habiba did not adhere to the dressing code “not once but several times.”
She also stated emphatically that the Muslim nurse “wasn’t sacked, I want that to be clear to everyone. She asked for permission and it was granted.”
“From what I understood, she is not a staff of Maamobi General Hospital, she is a rotation nurse. She is in the nursing school and they come to the government hospital on rotation. She came for ten weeks psychiatric rotation after which she will go back to school,” she noted.
The Medical Superintendent further explained that a senior nurse who “goes round to make sure that they are all wearing the appropriate uniform cautioned Habiba for wearing the hijab to work was wrong.
Wearing cap is a must
According to Dr. Anfu – Okine wearing a cap and adhering to the dressing code in the nursing field is a must and must be adhered to at all times.
“When you put on the hijab how can you put on the cap? So the senior nurse was just doing her job…the senior nurse told her that when you come to work, you dress like a nurse and when you are going home you put on your mufti and put on your hijab but whilst you are at work there was no need putting on the hijab. According to the senior nurse she told her several times but she was still wearing the hijab,” Dr. Anfu – Okine narrated.
She further explained that the lady in question claimed she had a letter which gives her the liberty to put on the hijab at work but was told to seek clearance from the Greater Accra Regional Heath directorate before it would be accepted.
She added that Habiba went home instead and reported the matter to his uncle and the media.
Background
Muslims in Ghana have strongly protested against what they say is discrimination against Muslims in schools and work places and hence demonstrated to demand such issues to be addressed.
They want to be exempted from Christian prayer sessions in public schools and also they want their women to be allowed to wear their hijab either to work or to school.
Government subsequently issued a directive to all institutions to allow Muslims to practice their religion without any hindrances or face sanctions.
The President in his State of the Nation address last week also warned that any head of institution who violates the directives will be sanctioned accordingly.
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh & Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana