Updated 16.58
THE DAUGHTER OF a woman who refused to be treated by a Muslim doctor at Tallaght Hospital has defended her mother’s actions.
Speaking on RTE’s Liveline this afternoon, the woman, identified as Cailín, said that she stood behind her mother completely.
“It’s completely her choice,” she said.
She’s perfectly entitled to do what she did. The HSE has guidelines that allow a Muslim to request that they be seen by a doctor who is the same sex as them, and if one cannot be provided it needs to be discussed with them.
The same way there are reasons for my Mam to not want to be seen by that doctor when she doesn’t subscribe to her ideology.
The incident in question had originally come to light via a post on Facebook shared by Cailín with a closed group called Anti-Islam Ireland in which she described what had happened.
Her mother had refused to be seen by two separate consultants who were Muslims, the first because she was wearing a traditional hijab.
When it was put to Cailín that she had posted to Anti-Islam Ireland she acknowledged that that was the case and that she stood by everything she had written. She further made a comparison between Islam and Nazism before being told that she was not allowed to do so under Incitement to Hatred legislation.
Insisting that it is with “Muslim ideology” that she has a problem, she claimed that she has known “many Muslims in fact”.
When it was put to her that most religious ideologies have unsavoury aspects to him she replied:
“I don’t subscribe to any religious beliefs, but when I see the parts of the Bible acted out around the world maybe I’ll feel the same way about it as I do (about Islam).”
Islam offends me.
Earlier
The initial incident in which Cailín’s mother refused to be seen at Tallaght Hospital on religious grounds took place on Tuesday.
After refusing treatment from the intitial consultant who was wearing a hijab, she asked that another member of staff handle her care.
A second consultant then arrived who was also Muslim. The patient then insisted that she wished to be seen by a non-Muslim consultant.
She was eventually treated by another medical professional at the hospital.
Cailín had suggested in her Facebook discussion with Anti-Islam Ireland that the hospital initially had asked her mother to leave before eventually treating her.
Local councillor Dermot Looney has been quite vocal in his criticism of the patient’s alleged actions on Twitter.
“Muslim docs do amazing work around Ireland including in Tallaght,” he tweeted.
Tallaght Hospital has confirmed that a patient refused treatment there this week.
“Tallaght Hospital’s values emphasise respect and the hospital’s establishing charter guarantees the free profession and practice of religion by all associated with the hospital and in particular the members of staff,” the hospital said in a statement.
These values are upheld by all staff and the hospital expects patients to respect these values of fairness and equity.
Tallaght Hospital cannot comment on individual patient cases due to patient confidentiality. No patients have been denied appropriate treatment this week.
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