Sikh Doctors In The United Kingdom Taken Off Covid-19 Frontline Work For Refusing To Shave Off Facial Hair  

Five Sikh doctors working at the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom have been temporarily removed from frontline work in the country's fight against Covid-19 after they refused to shave off their facial hair.

The removal of facial hair is suggested to help fit the protective mask over the skin.
This report mentions that doctors who kept beards could not fit into the FF93 mask, so they preferred to stick to their religious convictions. Their colleagues had to fill in for them in the pressing and stressful situation.

This has caused tensions between doctors making a choice to stick to religion and religious convictions and those doctors who are filling in for duties in the critical times. There are around 200 "orthodox Sikh doctors" working in the NHS.

The Sikh doctors have said that they would like to stand next to and work with their colleagues in the fight against the pandemic.

On 1 May, the Telegraph reported that a Sikh doctor was moved off the front line. This happened after the doctor "refused to shave his beard during the PPE shortage."

The doctor was reassigned "background work on the ward" after being moved out of the theatre. Singh has been quoted saying that the concerned doctor felt guilty as his colleagues had to "fill in for his shifts when all he needed was the correct PPE”.

The report says:

Dr Sukhdev Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Doctors Association, said the Consultant Anaesthist in his late 30s who works at a hospital in Wolverhampton, came to him “very distressed” after he was instructed to shave his beard in order for the FFP3 mask to properly fit.

Singh has pointed out that the NHS had "procured equipment 'blindly'" without taking into account the needs of Sikh, Muslim and Jewish doctors. Concerned doctors have expressed the need for masks that go with their needs.

Reports say that doctors have been instructed to remove their facial hair across the UK for the right fitting of the mask on the face in their fight against Covid-19 -- now known for being a highly infectious disease. It is being said that the removal of facial hair helps the mask to fit well over the skin.

The UK has been intensely hit by Covid-19 spread. As of 1 May, the UK was behind Italy which has so far been the worst hit in Europe by the deadly outbreak.