Doctors don’t want to work on the Isle of Wight and 3 have already left their jobs because they can’t easily purchase halal meat, it has been claimed by the BBC.
A senior doctor at St Mary’s Hospital has spoken out about the lack of halal meat available locally, stating that colleagues are having to spend their days off travelling to the mainland to purchase their weekly shopping.
Dr Syed Asim Ali Mukhtar is calling on local businesses to support doctors at St Mary’s, and the wider community, by catering for the Muslim population. He has claimed that just 1 wholesaler supplies halal meat, but not to the public.
It’s unsurprising that halal meat is hard to come by on the Island as there isn’t a strong market for it, with just 0.4% of the Island’s population identifying as Muslim.
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust, which employs over 500 staff from overseas including 35 doctors newly recruited in 2021, has responded to the news by saying:
“The campaign to local businesses has been led by Dr Asim and is not an IW NHS Trust campaign, although of course we support the availability of products that support the faiths of our team members.”
What is halal meat?
Halal is Arabic for permissible, with Halal food adhering to Islamic law, as set out by the Koran.
It means that the animal has been killed whilst it is alive and healthy, with a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe. As the blood is drained from the animal, a Muslim must recite a dedication.
