S’pore Muslim Groups Propose Tudung Guidelines For Nurses, Attire Must Follow Healthcare Standards

Tudung Guidelines For Nurses State That It Must Not Disrupt Control Of Infectious Diseases

The news that nurses and other healthcare workers in Singapore can soon wear the tudung with their uniform was a long time coming for many.

But before implementing the changes, nurses have to take into account certain medical and attire-related considerations.

This is why the Singapore Islamic Scholars & Religious Teachers Association (PERGAS) and Muslim Healthcare Professionals Association (MHPA) have collaborated on a set of guidelines that all tudung-wearing healthcare workers can follow.

Associations issue tudung guidelines for nurses

In a media statement on Thursday (30 Aug), PERGAS shared that they have had the honour of discussing the tudung issue with the authorities and other key groups.

Following the recent announcement, they’ve worked with the MHPA to release some guidelines which the Ministry of Health (MOH) can consider.

Weighing factors like hygiene, the tudungs which healthcare workers decide to wear should generally not disrupt:

• Control of infectious diseases
• Healthcare standards
• Uniformity

To illustrate what they mean, they provided some visual examples as reference:

Image courtesy of PERGAS

While there seem to be no specific rules yet, it appears that any add-ons should assimilate well with the existing uniform, while ensuring proper coverage for Muslim workers.

Image courtesy of PERGAS

As for situations that may call for nurses to go “bare below the elbows” (BBE), PERGAS Vice President Ms Kalthom Muhd Isa explained to BERITAMediacorp that they may do so.

This is because Islam allows some leeway, especially if it concerns the nurses’ health and need to help patients.

Make nursing profession more accessible to Muslim women

Thanking the authorities for the change, PERGAS reminds the public to remain calm and objective moving forward.

On a positive note, this means greater accessibility for Muslim women to explore nursing at various levels including:

• ITEs
• Polytechnics
• NUS
• Other local institutions

For those who value their tudung or hijab deeply, the acceptance opens so many career opportunities.

Hope acceptance will reach other sectors too

The acceptance of the tudung in the healthcare sector is certainly a change we can celebrate as a nation that claims to be multiracial and multireligious.

Perhaps if all goes well, we can see more sectors of society being more open in the future too.

But as all changes go, we should take things step by step and make adjustments where necessary.

Kudos to PERGAS and MHPA for creating the guidelines. May they benefit all the workers who’ll find them useful.

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Featured image courtesy of PERGAS and adapted from Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Facebook.