Women entitled to be treated by female doctors?

The social security system in my country, The Netherlands, is excellent. Need treatment? You're entitled to have it and you will receive it.

No, the social security system is not my point of discussion today. I'll get to that a bit later on.

You see, I'm not clumsy, not at all. I'm just accident prone. This basically means I see a GP at least some times a year.

Very nice guy, in his fourties and seems to me he knows what he's talking about. Never had a different GP in my life as my parents have been with him since before I was born. Hence, not really my choice, but then again, it doesn't really matter.


Does it?

So far there are no reliable and exact statistics available, but there's been a clear change over the last few years. Over the last few years the Islam has slowly but surely integrated in the Western culture. Some find it a positive influence and a meaningful addition, some might beg to differ and argue this statement by claiming the islam is becoming too dominant.

Nevertheless, things do change. For instance, the most popular name for a new born baby boy in Holland is now Mohammed and more than 6% of the Dutch people is now Islamic, Muslim, where this used to be 0% 20 years ago.

Another matter that has changed over the past few years is the number of female doctors treating Muslim women. A fair amount of investigations carried out have proved this to be right. Muslim women want to be treated by a woman, rather than by a man. This demand usually comes from the male relatives of the female patient.
These days, male doctors are often being stopped from doing their daily duties by muslim men, because of religious difficulties.

The question is, does the desire to receive treatment from a woman really come from the patient or is this a perfect example showing the still existing difference in rank between men and women within the Islam? Is the desire a true reflection of the Muslima's wishes?

However, this is not even the main question I'd like to focus the attention on. Should one be able to choose his or her doctor, based on gender? Or is it, according to others, the best treatment possible that should be the key element rather than the sex of the doctor? Especially in urgent matters. When a Muslim woman is being taken to hospital in a state in which she is considered unable to judge her situation objectively and express herself, should she by all means be given the best medical care possible or do her, often male, relatives have the right to speak for her?

A pragmatic guideline has been chosen by the KPMG, the Dutch National Medical Society, to function as a solution. Honour the wishes that remain within the sphere of reality. If they head toward the impossible, act in the patient's best interest, which means the best medical care possible. Given by either man or woman.

An interesting discussion as it involves a certain level of understanding of the religious aspects of the Islam which, in this case collides with some of our constitution's mayor foundations. Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech. Then again, one doesn't have the right to discriminate either.