The Samajwadi Party (SP) has alleged that doctors of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals ask Muslim patients to shave off their beard before surgery. SP leader Rais Shaikh, in a letter to BMC commissioner, has claimed that doctors at civic hospitals ask Muslim patients to remove their beard before even a minor operation. Shaikh demanded that the practice must be stopped.
Sheikh, the SP's group leader in the BMC, has written a letter to civic commissioner Ajoy Mehta, drawing his attention to the practice which he termed as unacceptable.
"Keeping a beard is long-cherished part of our faith and I have received several complaints from our Muslim brother patients who say doctors advice them to shave off beard before performing even a minor surgery," the SP corporator said.
"This is unacceptable and I have apprised BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta about it and have written a letter to him," Sheikh said.
"I have demanded that Mehta instruct doctors to ask patients to shave off beard only when it is extremely necessary," he said.
Sheikh also said the BMC's health department has taken cognisance of his complaint over the issue and framed a policy to prevent doctors from resorting to the practice. However, this could not be immediately corroborated with civic officials.
Sheikh was among the corporators who had in the past raised objection to making 'Surya Namaskar' (Sun salutation) compulsory in BMC schools.
(With inputs from PTI)
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