Female Muslim medics 'disobey hygiene rules'

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by BrianR

wait, doesn't surgical garb cover your arms to the wrist and surgical gloves (2 pr IIRC) cover the hands totally?

I know Muslim women can undress and bathe privately and with members of their own sex, just not around men.

Doctors usually scrub privately and dress before surgery and the patient generally doesn't see the doctor just prior to surgery due to anesthetic prep. I've been operated on twice and neither time did I actually see the doctor, I was out before he even got there.

So what's the problem? I'm missing something I guess.

Scrub areas are not in a private location. They are located as close as possible to the operative theater, usually with glass over the sink looking into the OR. This is so immediately after the scrub, the doc walks immediately into the OR with dripping arms held above the waist hands in the air at about shoulder or chest height. The glass is often there so the surgeon can monitor and be summonded if there is an immediate problem. Not all ORs have the glass, just most of the modern ones. The patient often does not see the surgeon in the OR, but that is surgeon dependent.

And FTR, the women must comply or find another profession IMHO. The Brits were pioneers in getting physicians to stop wearing ties in the hospital.