Orthopaedic hospital sacks two nurses for wearing hijab

Orthopaedic hospital sacks two nurses for wearing hijab

Posted by Sylvester on Friday, May 2, 2014 0

Sponsored Advertisement?

TWO female nurses of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi Lagos (NOHIL) have been sacked for wearing hijab while on duty.

The nurses Mrs Fasilat Olayinka Lawal and Miss Sekinat Sanusi, relied on the prescription of their regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery
Council of Nigeria which says nurses should either wear nurse cap or shoulder lenght hijab as contained in a circular dated February 11,
2002 (reference number N&MCN/CMF/721/1/3).

The circular which was signed by P. N. Ndatsu, Secretary General/ Registrar was said to have been sent to all Directors of Nursing and
their deputies, chief Medical Directors, chief Executives, and Principals.

It was gathered that Muslims nurses in other government and
teaching hospitals in other states wear shoulder lenght hijab. Some of
them include Kwara, Osun, Oyo in the South West and most states in
the north of the country.

The victims in anticipation of the hospital management weilding the big
stick, approached the court to obtain injunction against further actions by the management of the NOHIL, But this did not deter the hospital
management as the two nurses were sacked a few days .

Narrating how it happened, Mrs Lawal said she accepted the offer based on the circular of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria
prescribing a shoulder length hijab which she expected the hospital to comply with.

When contacted the Medical Director, NOHIL, Dr. O.Odunibi, declined comments saying “the matter is already in
court and we have been told not to comment on the matter.”
A senior Muslim nurse in the hospital who crave anonimity said that they were not wearing hijab merely because no circular
was given to them to that effect. She maintained that the development
was an eye-opener to other Muslim nurses in the hospital.