Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 2: Dr R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Vile Parle has issued a show-cause notice to a security guard after a woman alleged that she was asked to remove her burqa completely before entering the post-neonatal ward.

The incident reportedly took place around 4.15 pm on August 30 when advocate Jahanara Shaikh visited the ward. According to Shaikh, a female security guard asked her to remove her burqa before allowing her entry.

Shaikh said she informed the security staff that her face and identity were visible and that she should not be asked to remove the burqa entirely. She maintained that she had the right to wear the attire of her choice while offering to show her face for identification.

Dr Chhaya Shinde, dean of Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical College and Dr R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital, said there was no hospital protocol requiring women to remove their burqa.

According to Shinde, the security guard, who had been appointed by the BMC, had misunderstood the security procedure. She said the guard should only have asked Shaikh to show her face or move her veil aside temporarily for identification.

“There is no such protocol that women have to remove their burqa entirely,” Shinde said, adding that action had been taken against the guard and the matter had been resolved.

The hospital said enhanced security measures had been introduced in the post-neonatal ward as a precaution to ensure the safety of newborn babies. The security guard, who was on a 10-day duty assignment, later apologised to Shaikh. The hospital administration subsequently issued her a show-cause notice over the incident.

Shaikh said she later spoke with hospital officials and the police regarding the incident. She said hospital authorities cooperated and the Assistant Medical Officer informed her that security personnel could not demand that she remove her burqa completely.

While acknowledging the need for strict security in sensitive areas of the hospital, Shaikh said such measures should not require women to remove religious attire when their faces could be shown for identification.

She also urged women to ensure that the burqa was not misused while stressing the importance of respecting individual rights and hospital security requirements.