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Nursing interns protest at Government Medical College and Hospital in Doda over the alleged burqa restriction. (Img: X)
Jammu: A controversy has erupted at Government Medical College and Hospital in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, after nursing interns protested against alleged restrictions on wearing burqas inside the gynaecology department’s labour room.
The dispute began after a nursing student was allegedly asked to leave the labour room by Dr Madhu Chib, head of the gynaecology department, for wearing a veil. Other interns subsequently claimed that similar objections were raised against students wearing burqas or abayas, prompting them to stage a protest within the hospital premises and boycott work.
The protest was subsequently called off following intervention by the hospital administration. The authorities have constituted a seven-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and the allegations made by the students.
Hospital authorities, however, have maintained that the issue was not a prohibition on religious attire but related to infection-control and hygiene requirements in restricted clinical areas. Dr Irfan Tassaduq, the in-charge medical superintendent, said the doctor had asked the interns to secure loose clothing and wear a medical gown over it in accordance with protocols applicable to labour rooms and operation theatres.
According to the administration, such precautions are mandatory in areas where patients, particularly women undergoing childbirth, may face heightened risks of infection. The medical superintendent also pointed out that similar protective requirements apply to doctors and other healthcare personnel working in these sensitive areas.
The episode has nevertheless triggered a wider debate over religious freedom and institutional protocols. Doda MLA Mehraj Malik raised the matter with Health Minister Sakina Itoo, while National Conference spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq expressed concern over the allegations.
Sadiq said that the Constitution protects an individual's freedom to practise religion and argued that a woman's decision to wear or not wear the hijab should remain a matter of personal autonomy.
The inquiry is now expected to determine whether the incident resulted from a misunderstanding of the hospital's prescribed attire and hygiene requirements or whether the students were subjected to an impermissible restriction on their religious clothing.
The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny over the manner in which healthcare institutions balance religious expression with clinical safety standards, particularly in high-risk areas such as labour rooms and operational rooms.
