Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday said the request of a group of female MBBS students to wear long-sleeve scrub jackets and surgical hoods in operation theatres was not a matter that demanded a political decision.

She said the utmost priority is the safety of patients and protecting life without getting infected.

The entire system and facilities in an operation theatre are to protect the lives of patients, the minister explained.

"The issue is not a matter that demands a political decision. It is not any administration that takes decisions regarding the matters in operation theatres internationally," she said.

Stating that the matter is technical, George further said the basis of such protocols is to avoid infection in operation theatres.

Various doctors' outfits have already made their stand clear on the issue, she added.

A group of female Muslim MBBS students from the Government Medical College here recently expressed concern over not being allowed to wear hijab inside operation theatres and sought permission to don long-sleeve scrub jackets and surgical hoods at the earliest.

A woman medico, belonging to the 2020 batch, wrote a letter to principal Dr Linnette J Morris on June 26, citing the matter. The request letter was also signed by six other female medical students from different batches of the college.

In the letter, the students complained that they were not allowed to cover their heads inside the operation theatre. "According to our religious belief, wearing hijab is mandatory for Muslim women under all circumstances," they said.

"Long-sleeve scrub jackets and surgical hoods are available, which allow us to maintain sterile precautions as well as our hijab," they said.

They wanted the principal to look into the matter and grant them permission to wear the same in operation theatres at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the Medical College students' union has lodged a complaint with the local police seeking an inquiry into the leakage of the students' letter.

The union, in their complaint, alleged that a person had propagated the copy of the letter through social media, causing damage to the reputation of students, who gave the request letter to the principal, the Medical College police said.

"We directed them to hand over the complaint to the cyber wing of the police department," a senior police officer said.

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