"I felt that our religious needs were not properly catered for."

I was in Psychiatric ward of the new FVHB hospital in Larbert. I used the Citizens Advice Office to place my complaint. I was not happy with the reply so complained further. Again I was not taken seriously about the needs of Muslim patients. I submitted a list of recommendations which were ignored. More involvement of muslim volunteers is an issue that could be progressed further.

I then raised the issue with the Scottish Parliament. An offer of funding for someone to do a PHD in the needs of muslim patients was communicated to me. I felt as though I had made a breakthrough.

In the meantime I made an application for medical holy spirit, based on the healing ayats of the Koran and Hadith to my Prophethood, which I was awarded, for recovery.

Also I visited the Muslim Womens resource Centre in Glasgow, which provide a list

of services for muslim women, such as, a helpline, Advocacy, Counselling, CBT, Relationship counselling, Befriending, and friendship group. I made use of the counselling and CBT service, and then publicised these services in the hospital by putting up posters of the service, and asking the hospital to do the same.

I also recommended the appointment of a part time Imam to help cater for muslim needs.

I found the health board to be non-cooperative, but the staff in the ward were reasonably attentive about my care, and catering for a female patients needs. However, I believe they fell short of the current Equality Act, by not taking any necessary steps to rectify the situation.

Also my mother is an extremely ill person, having suffered illnesses that only a faith response can help with. She suffers from a range of medical conditions and problems.

I don’t think she has ever received proper care and attention from the Health Board for many years now. For example, they failed to tell her that she was pregnant for 5 months. They did not diagnose her head pain to be serious by not checking her blood pressure, which led to a stroke, and refuse to respond to her Islamic needs in patient care.

My mother complained about the lack of the use of the black seed extract and oil as an islamic treatment but the Board took no action at all in trying to introduce islamic remedies for her.

In the future hospitals and the NHS should pay more attention to the needs of muslim patients and requests by them, as the Equality Act would expect these needs to be taken into consideration.

Thank you.

All thanks to Allah for his help