Cover image via KosmoIt is a fairly common practise for public places and workplaces to observe a particular dress code in most parts of the world.
However, Malaysia, as of late, has been facing quite a number of problems related to dress codes; with many expressing their dissatisfaction about complying with these dressing etiquette.
Just last week, a nurse from a local private hospital, claimed that her employers sacked her after she insisted on wearing long-sleeved uniform to cover her aurat
The young nurse brought the issue to the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) after being sacked by the hospital.
According to Naziah, the employment terms did not indicate that nurses were not allowed to wear long-sleeved uniforms
Slamming Naziah's allegations, the Damai Hospital Nursing Department claims that they fired her because she was "stubborn and insubordinate"
"We don't allow long sleeves not because we are against anyone's religion but for safety reasons," the statement read.
The private medical centre also lamented about how they have been getting phone calls from patients demanding to only be served by nurses clad in long-sleeved uniforms, after Naziah publisised the issue
In response to Naziah's allegations, Damai Service Hospital (Melawati) is looking to sue the young nurse for her complaints against the management and her dismissal
Shedding light on the issue, Damai hospital's Finance and Administration Manager, Regina Sundram, explained that the hospital requires its nurses to wear short-sleeved uniform to avoid risk of infection and ease of movement while doing work
Making matters worse, the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), apparently threatened the hospital with racism charges for not allowing Naziah to wear long sleeves
Meanwhile, talking about following the Malaysian constitution, PPIM's chief activist Nadzim Johan, thinks that "we must follow the Islamic way" (nurses' dress code)
So, the question comes down to why short-sleeves for medical staff?
Most medical associations and professionals conclusively believe that wearing short-sleeved shirt or uniform while at work helps to reduce and limit the chances of infection.
**Julie Hughes, a nurse consultant in infection control at 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, thinks that long sleeves can easily be soiled with bodily fluids, thus it is best to comply to the "bare below the elbows" rule when dressing to work, as mentioned in the Nursing Times website.**
Image via KPJ Tawakkal
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), recently urged hospitals to encourage their medical staff to wear short-sleeved uniforms, avoid wearing wristwatches, jewelry and neck tie at work to best prevent the spread of infections
Adding to that, the British Medical Association's (BMA) dress code states that medical professionals should wear short- sleeves when working with patients
Based on a question asked on Quora, a question and answer website, on why scrubs are usually short-sleeved, most medical professionals agree that wearing short sleeves is practical and reduces the risk of infection
Image via Quora
Image via Quora
Image via Quora
Hence, it is safe to say that most medical centers and professionals around the world comply to the short sleeves dress code to lessen the risk of infections while attending patients and working in an infection-prone space
Nevertheless, there are a number of hospitals that allow their nurses to wear long-sleeved uniforms and they usually differ according to their designated position
Image via UWS
The nurses wearing long-sleeved uniforms are usually the ones that deal with clerical and administration work in the hospital as opposed to the ones dealing with the patients, directly.
