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Take care of yourself during Ramadan

dan freeman

11222

Take care of yourself during Ramadan

Ramadan is a very important time and if you are a Muslim, you will understandably want to observe all the customs and practices, including fasting during daylight hours, but you should be careful not to put your health at risk.

We have recently noticed an increase in the number of cancellations or people not turning up for some appointments – particularly endoscopies.

If your doctor refers you to us for an urgent appointment – particularly if your doctor thinks you might have cancer, it’s really important you keep the appointment to get checked out. If you do have cancer, early diagnosis could save your life.

To help, we asked two Muslim colleagues for their advice around Ramadan and managing your health:

Imam Haque, Muslim Chaplain:

“Fasting is not obligatory for children or those whom fasting will cause their health to be badly affected because of being elderly, suffering from an illness, or needing to administer medication or treatment to safely maintain their health. This can include pregnant women and those breastfeeding.

“If you were unable to complete one or more fasts in Ramadan due to these reasons, Islam permits you to make up each missed fast when you are better and able after Ramadan has ended.

“I would advise those patients who have been referred for an urgent procedure to please seek advice from their doctor to discuss whether it is actually safe to delay or miss this procedure, especially as fasts missed due to a genuine reason can be made up later and still achieve the same rewards from Allah. Consult your Imam if you are concerned.”

Dr El Mileik, Consultant:

“Fasting can be a problem for people with chronic health conditions or acute medical problems, which require regular medication, investigations and treatment. For example, if you require an urgent endoscopic procedure, you should undergo your procedure or investigation and then make up for that day by fasting after Eid.”

If you really feel you can’t attend the appointment, please contact us to let us know. This will help us to rearrange it quickly, and we can give your slot to someone else who needs it.

Please call the contact telephone numbers on your appointment letter as early as you can.

Find out more please visit; https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/ramadan-health-faqs/ and download our quick guide to Staying Well in Ramadan 

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