UK - hospital nurses must now move beds of muslims to face mecca five times a day?

Question

Has anyone else read about this? Apparently Yorkshire NHS trust has now decreed that nurses must agree to move the beds of Muslims patients so that five times a day they face Mecca?

Can anyone confirm or deny this? Apparently there is an article about it in several British newspapers but I don't have the links.

What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

That's ridicules,not true!?First,how can you pray in bed?! lol. Have you seen them pray? can't do it in bed ?
Plus if Muslims are sick enough to be hospitalized, they are excused , and don't need to pray ?! How ever if they are well and like to pray , they do it next to the bed and face Mecca themselves ?!

Regards.

Answer 2

As I ponder this question, I find myself wondering... Which side of the bed is supposed to face Mecca?

My first thought was, obviously, the head. But in that position, the patient cannot himself face Mecca unless he fully arches his back -- a feat which requires mastery of Hatha Yoga. (And wouldn't he then wish to face Calcutta?)

Turning the bed ninety degrees allows the patient to face Mecca while resting on his side. Turning it 180 degrees lets him look in the right direction if his pillow is propped up. However, one would want to take into account the nature of the patient's infirmity. With appendicitis, he would probably want to be on his left side. And if he is recovering from rectal surgery, that could change everything.

Best would be to place the entire hospital building on a rotating platform, so that it comes full circle every four hours and forty eight minutes.

Seriously, I think it's a good thing to accommodate people's religious/spiritual needs. But it appears that some administrator went overboard, trying to make a major policy decision when a little common sense would have done the trick. If a patient wants to face in a certain direction five times a day, for whatever reason, try to find him a bed that happens to be facing in that direction. If that's not available, and he lacks the mobility to properly orient himself, see if one of his relatives, or a hospital volunteer, or the fellow in the next bed can help position him.

The idea of bed-turning for only the terminally ill doesn't make much sense to me. But maybe I'm missing something.

Answer 3

Good grief this is ridiculous. They certainly should not be forced to do it, if they choose to do it out of kindness then wonderful. The thing is that if a Muslim is completely bedridden and the bed happens to not be facing in a way that the person can not face Mecca to pray then they can pray whatever way they are facing. This article also said, "Muslims are also meant to wash themselves in running water prior to prayer. " and this is not correct. One the water does not need to be running and two if one is clean from the previous washing they don't need to perform wudu again. I'd like to know if any patients actually asked for this.

Answer 4

I wholeheartedly agree with experienced nurse at Dewsbury and District Hospital in Yorkshire:

"It would be easier to create Muslim-only wards with every bed facing Mecca than deal with this.

"We have a huge Muslim population in Dewsbury and if we are having to turn dozens of beds to face Mecca five times a day, plus provide running water before and after prayers, it is bound to impact on the essential medical service we are supposed to be providing.

"Although the beds are designed to be moved, the bays are not really suitable for having loads of beds moving around to face a different direction and, despite our best efforts, it does cause disruption for non-Muslim patients."

Conservative MP David Davies also criticized the idea, saying: "Hospitals should be concentrating on stopping the spread of infections than kowtowing to the politically-correct brigade."

Fortunately, hospital staff will now only be asked to perform the duty for the terminally ill.

Thanks a lot for the link, yutsnark!

Answer 5

hm, I'd be interested if anyone can back up that this claim is correct. if it is i must say that it's ridiculous- the NHS is extremely understaffed as it is, they should have to waste valuable man power turning beds around!

if you want to pray five times a day toward mecca, that's your right, but don't do it at the expense of someone else's health. let the nurses do what they are trained to do, and get a family member or friend to play musical chairs with your bed!

Answer 6

To prey in Muslim way you have to face Mecca and if you were sick you have to prey even by using your eyes and it is an exception because of the sickness case so if it was an exception you might do it in your place with no need to move to the right direction. Unfortunately the rules of Islam is not easy to understand and most of the professors of Islam now working for the Dictators of the Islamic world so they do not learn people their religion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

It would be easier if they tried as much as possible to have the beds permanently face Mecca. It's not unreasonable to want to make it easier for someone in the hospital to practice their faith.

Answer 8

They should just build the future Hospitals facing Mecca then

Answer 9

realy not suitable and as for our nurses only wards with every bed facing mecca to deal to look after

Answer 10

Muslims do have to pray 5 times a day and should have their direction towards Macca.

Facing Macca would not be necessary in case one is sick, the perons can still pray.