good. Welcome back to our special focus this evening. It's an issue from Kerala that's about religious beliefs and the safest attire to wear at an Operation Theatre, one that puts the two on two sides of the conversation. The medical fraternity in Kerala has strongly reacted to the letter of seven medical students of th Anura Medical College to their principal, asking that they be allowed to wear the hijab along with long speeds, crab jackets and surgical boots to make sterile precautions in the Operation Theatre. In their letter, the women said that they found it difficult to balance between compliance, religion attire and also complying with hospital and operation room regulations. Joining us now is Sneha Koshi, who's been tracking that story closely. Sneha. What's the sense you're getting from the doctor medical fraternity in Kerala, as well as have you been able to talk to the students who have written this letter right? We have actually two important sides to this, and one is what the students are saying. One. What the doctors or experts or medical bodies are saying, Well, first, let's go to what the medical bodies are saying whether it be the I MA Kerala chapter or whether it be the KGKG A, which is the Kerala government's medical wing. All of these organisations are quite opposed to what the students are demanding, whether it be the long sleeve scrubs or the hoods that they they are demanding the medical fraternity, or at least the bodies that are speaking and telling us about how they want to respond to this. They are very clear that something like this at this moment is not acceptable. They are not willing to give in to such demands while they are saying it will be the principal's decision at the end of the day, the one and the medical college. But as a medical fraternity, they are opposed to it, not saying on record. But many of them have also raised concerns that it's not about just one religion, religion or one set of religious beliefs. If several of them come up with several demands, it becomes extremely difficult and will be very untenable. In a hospital set up in an operation Theatre set up that being one on the other side there, other doctors, I particularly who has gone on to say that there are certain protocols that are internationally accepted, even in countries like the UK, where there may be very rare exceptions that's very strictly monitored. And even during the Covid protocol or the covid pandemic that was not even allowed as what they have claimed. While some countries do allow that kind of an exception, but largely in Kerala medical fraternity united on this stand that the demand by a group of seven women students is not something that they would like to take forward. However, I've also spoken to one of the students, and the students have gone ahead and said, This is about their fate. They don't want anything political about this. But like what they have seen in some parts of the country, they would want to see some exception in Kerala as well, right? Remember, there is a very important conversation, but one that needs to be dealt with sensitively and carefully, so that it doesn't have other connotations. We'll keep a close track of that as well. Thank you so much for those details. That's all we have time for. On this show. We will be again next Monday. Thank you for watching
