Royal Derby Hospital in the UK Introduces Disposable & Sterile Hijabs for Muslim Workers

The Royal Derby Hospital is the first hospital in the UK to introduce disposable and sterile headscarves for their workers to put on when they’re in the operating theatres.

Farah Roslan, Junior doctor who’s also a Muslim, came up with the idea while receiving training at this hospital.

She was inspired because of possible infection concerns with regular hijabs being worn in a sterile environment like hospitals.

They hope that these sterile hijabs will also become a part of other hospitals.

Wearing the Same Headscarf in a Hospital Isn’t Adequate for the Sterile Environment

These new sterile and disposable hijabs are a solution to the control of infections linked with hijabs. Wearing the same hijab throughout the whole shift isn’t ideal for a hospital.

Roslan explains she didn’t feel comfortable removing her hijab and she often needed to leave the operating theatres in order to prevent possible infections.

Before making the final design and finding the right fabric, the aspiring doctor got her inspiration from Malaysia, her birth country.

She’s genuinely happy and excited for endorsing this disposable hijab for medical workers nationally.

Gill Tierney, consultant surgeon who was Roslan’s mentor during her time at the Royal Derby stated that the trust was the first to introduce these hijabs in the UK.

He explained that they’re aware that this is a silent and quiet problem in theatres around the country, which hasn’t been formally addressed. Their innovation wasn’t very expensive and they hope it will be a good solution.

What Were the Reactions after the Launch of the Disposable Hijab?

The Derby Hospital has been praised on social media after they’ve introduced these disposable headscarves for staff.

One Twitter user wrote that it’s awesome and well-done for inclusivity.

Another person added they love seeing inclusivity.

Farah wrote on her Twitter that she’s very thankful for her initiative being fulfilled and she hopes that this disposable hijab will help eliminate one of the biggest limits of attracting diverse talents in surgery.

Supporters of Inclusivity

The popular sportswear brand Nike launched the first swimwear collection with a waterproof hijab.

Nike claims they were inspired by swimmers who didn’t find good coverage by the current options available and it was in a way a barrier to enjoy swimming fully.

The other items from this collection by Nike include a fully-covering swimsuit, a swim tunic top, and leggings for swimming.

Farah and Nike aren’t the only ones making waves- Sports Illustrated had a model on their front cover wearing a hijab and burkini. The 21-year-old Halima Aden appeared in the May issue and made history as the first model to pose in a modest Muslim swimwear.

Sports Illustrated said they were thrilled to have this young woman on their cover. She was born into a Kenyan refugee camp and the photos were taken in her birth country at Watamu Beach.

She also made history as the first woman with a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant in 2016.

Sources:

INDEPENDENT

BBC

UNILAD