|
Hospital staff turn beds to Mecca | ||
| Hospital beds of seriously ill Muslim patients are to be turned to face Mecca as part of changes aimed at helping patients uphold their Islamic faith.
Dewsbury District Hospital in West Yorkshire will also provide Halal meals and make changes to shower facilities.
Staff at the hospital will take part in training sessions to teach them how to help patients with their faith worship.
A Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust spokeswoman said it wanted to improve its service for Muslim patients.
This included staff positioning the beds of "very ill" Muslim patients to face the Qibla in Mecca if requested to do so by the patient.
Hospital matron Catherine Briggs said she had spoken to Muslim patients about how the service could be improved.
She said: "We always do our best to listen to our patients and are willing to adapt our nursing practices where possible to help patients uphold their cultural beliefs." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7127029.stm
OVERWORKED nurses have been ordered to stop all medical work five times every day to move Muslim patients' beds so they face towards Mecca.
The lengthy procedure, which also includes providing fresh bathing water, is creating turmoil among overstretched staff on bustling NHS wards. But despite the havoc, Mid- Yorkshire NHS Trust says the rule must be instigated whenever possible to ensure Muslim patients have "a more comfortable stay in hospital". And a taxpayer-funded training programme for several hundred hospital staff has begun to ensure that all are familiar with the workings of the Muslim faith. The scheme is initially being run at Dewsbury and District Hospital, West Yorkshire, but is set to be introduced at other hospitals in the new year. It comes on the back of the introduction in some NHS hospitals last year of Burka-style gowns for Muslim patients who did not wish medical staff to see their face while operating or caring for them. | ||
