A video posted to drag staff of the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan for allegedly rejecting a sick newborn baby over the mother’s refusal to remove her niqab is generating a lot of reactions online.
Muslim News Nigeria shared a video of staff of the hospital explaining to a mother that she would have to change to enter the ward for preterm babies.
In the video, the medics, who were wearing scrubs, are seen explaining to the parents of the newborn that no one could enter the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) without changing into scrubs. This is to avoid the spread of infections to newborn babies.
The hospital staff also explained that they too were wearing scrubs and that it was the rule to avoid the spread of infection and protect the preterm babies who were very sensitive.
However, the father of the newborn refused to listen to their explanation and told the staff that they should have told him the rules before he made payment.
The video received mixed reactions after it was shared online.
One X user wrote: “Wallahi, I will turn that place upside down. That’s a government facility not a private one.”
However, many users told the Muslim Media that the safety of other babies cannot be jeopardised by one mother.
Doctors have now weighed in. They explained that long coverings like the niqab and clothes worn from outside are not allowed in the NICU.
One doctor wrote: “Are you guys serious at all?
“When I worked in the ICU as an intern, I didn’t go into the ICU with my work clothes, there were scrubs and shoes kept for everyone outside, and we changed into them.
“We covered our hair and wore face masks!!!!
“These are children with very low immunity and you want to bring a “hijab” that’s not sanitized into an ICU!!!
“What sort of nonsense mentality is this fgs!!!”
A health organisation known as Health Simplex wrote: “The intensive Care Unit is strictly very hygienic because the patients in an ICU, especially ‘New Borns’ are very vulnerable.
“The staff of the ICU are not even allowed to go into the ICU with the clothes they wore from home, why do you think a hijab would be allowed?” 
See the video here.
