Newly hired medical superintendent of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) Dr Muhammad Younus Warraich has banned jeans in the hospital and made dupatta or scarf mandatory for the women medical officers (WMOs) and paramedics, Majeed Gill reported for Dawn.
The new dress code has been introduced reportedly by the new head of the hospital to ‘preach Islam and reform the society’.
A notification signed by Mr Warraich, titled as, DRESS CODE RULES IN B.V. HOSPITAL BAHAWALPUR PREMISES consisted of two categories of ‘ALLOWED’ and ‘NOT ALLOWED’.
The letter gives the list of the dresses, which are not permitted in the hospital. It includes “jeans/tights (but only with knee-length shirt), high-up trousers/capri above ankle, tight fitted clothes, see-through clothes, heavy/tacky bangles or rings, sleeveless/half sleeves clothes, heavy make-up (especially dark lipsticks), untied long hair, high heels (making loud sounds and turning heads of everyone), extreme hairstyles (especially high buns like the hump of camels), low neckline (front and back), nail paint on long nails, slippers and anklets (Pazaib)”.
The “ALLOWED” category includes, “shalwar kameez or trousers with long shirts, dupatta/scarf, minimal jewelry like studs/tops, simple ring, or a chain with locket, sleeves below the elbow, lab coat (compulsory in hospital premises), maternity gowns/suitable dresses (during antenatal period) and scrubs with long sleeves that can be folded for females”.
It is notable that the code looks to be mostly women-centric.
Talking to Dawn, Mr Warraich confirmed that lab coats and maternity gowns during operations are now necessary on the hospital premises along with dupatta/scarf with minimum jewellery for women medical officers. Explaining the move, he said the step had been taken to preach Islam, promote religious values and reform society.
