Hijab nurse saga: Zongo Minister visits Maamobi polyclinic

The Minister of Inner-city and Zongo Development, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, on Friday, 4 January 2019, personally visited the Maamobi General Polyclinic to learn for himself why a Muslim student nurse on internship with the health post was allegedly asked by her superiors to take off her hijab.

The same student had complained that she suffered a similar incident at the regional office of the Ghana Health Service when she went there to register for her internship.

She was allegedly denied an internship letter for refusing to take off her hijab while she went through the registration process.

After learning of the alleged incident via social media, Dr Abdul-Hamid said he spoke to both the Minister of Health, Kweku Agyemang-Manu and the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, on the phone for an intervention.

Dr Nsiah-Asare subsequently issued a directive to the health posts saying that the government’s policy on the wearing of the hijab by Muslim nurses had not been reviewed, hence they must be allowed to wear them.

In the circular sent to all Regional Health Directors, Medical Superintendents, Polyclinic In-Charges, Metro, Municipal and District Directors of Health Service in the region, the GHS prompted them of the fact that the move contravened government’s policy directive which gave approval to the wearing of the hijab.

He, thus, urged the authorities to ensure the strict adherence to the directive by all staff and managers concerned.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said the GHS has also directed all public hospitals in the Greater Accra Region to allow Muslim nurses to wear their hijab without any hindrance.