According to the United Nations list of country classifications for 2022, Malaysia is technically still a developing country, or a third-world country as others might call it. So, whenever there is news about Malaysians making it in other countries, it’s a proud moment for all of us collectively.
Muslim women have always been subjected to criticism when it comes to the topic of their hijab. This particular individual is one of many who managed to overcome her problem. The surgeon, Dr. Farah Shaheera Roslan, is an innovative Malaysian medical student who introduced the world to the first-ever disposable surgical hijab!
Back in 2018, the 28-year-old was kicked out of the operation theatre in Queen’s Medical Centre, for not wearing a surgically-approved hijab. The event was burned into the back of her mind until she finally decided to do something about it. After extensive work with her superior and mentor, surgeon Gill Turney, the surgical hijab was born.
The NHS Trust was the first hospital to offer disposable hijabs for healthcare staff after Roslan and Tierney collaborated with them to publicise their design. The disposable, sanitary hijabs do not cost very much, but Tierney claims that the impact they will have on the women who wear them will be life-changing.
Before, the Malaysian doctor would wear the traditional headscarf all day, which she noted was not particularly the best choice as it wasn’t technically as sterile as the standard head caps. Worried that the hijab might be a potential source of infection, she was not able to partake in any surgical work within the operation theatre.
It has been 3 years since the introduction of the surgical hijab. Now you can clearly see that Dr. Farah is allowed to be in the operating theatre. She even stated in her caption that she was the one to operate independently on the emergency paediatric case. She also managed to finish the operation in less than 40 minutes which is less than the average time. Dr. Farah continues to impress even to this day.
Now thanks to the efforts of this incredible individual, all Muslim doctors around the world are able to operate safely without the risk of infections and still remain within the rules of Islam. Dr. Farah Sheera Roslan, you are the best! To learn more about how the young doctor was able to do it, check out this video:
Sources: Berita Harian, Nurse.org
Puteri Teja contributed to this article.
