Australian MP supports “urgent” action against Sikh beard “discrimination”

A move by award winning charity group Sikh Volunteers Australia (SVA) to change anti-Sikh health care policies has been supported by MP Julian Hill.

SVA were approached by Sikh healthcare professionals and students from across the country that were being pressured to cut facial hair as part of a flawed mandatory mask “Fit Test”. Practicing Sikhs keep kes (unshorn hair) and some results of such tests claim beards can prevent healthcare staff from wearing a mask properly.

Suggestions a beard prevents masks from being worn properly have been proven to be flawed, with many Sikhs passing the “Fit Test” with beards, whilst also people without facial hair have failed the tests based due to their facial features. There are also many alternative face-coverings aside from standard masks which are readily available for healthcare staff to use instead. However, due to a lack of awareness and general ignorance amongst healthcare legislatures, there was pressure on Sikh healthcare workers to cut kes, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic. 

SVA challenged this discriminatory pressure against Sikh healthcare staff by drafting a report titled “Discrimination against Sikh Healthcare Practitioners and Students in Australia”. Headed by Jaswinder Singh of SVA with support from Sikh healthcare staff including doctors, the report explained why asking Sikhs to cut hair is discrimination and offered proven alternatives. The report also pointed to alternatives considerate of Sikhs being implemented by healthcare authorities of New South Wales and Western Australia. The report was sent out to relevant authorities and political figures, leading to Julian Hill writing to Minister for Health Martin Foley, requesting “urgent consideration of the…implementation of a solution, so Sikh healthcare workers can participate fully in our healthcare system.”

The issue of healthcare discrimination regarding masks became a prominent issue for Sikhs, vastly covered by The Sikh Press Association. Read previous articles on this issue-

• https://www.sikhpa.com/sikh-medics-speak-against-pressure-on-healthcare-workers-to-shave/
• https://www.sikhpa.com/sikhs-decry-media-glare-on-beard-sacrifice-to-cover-ppe-shortage/
• https://www.sikhpa.com/sikhs-take-initiative-on-ppe-shortage-amidst-pressure-to-shave/

SVA will be continuing to push for wider healthcare change to prevent further discrimination against Sikh staff, and will provide updates accordingly.

See their report in full below.

Any healthcare professionals wanting to get in touch with SVA about this can message them on Facebook.