In the name of God
the most gracious, the most merciful, and peace be upon our
prophet Muhammad, the seal of the prophets and messengers.
Health policies of the
Islamic Party depend heavily on the principles of prevention,
justice and fairness in the availability of health care from the
point of delivery of the primary care and at all levels of secondary
and tertiary care. Giving special care emphasis on areas of health
research and community care, particularly to the elderly, mentally
ill and disabled. Improving the working conditions for the employees
of the National Health Service and allowing the possibilities for
voluntary work and the private sector to develop according to the
needs of society.
Prevention
"Prevention is better than
cure", is a well known Islamic saying. Prevention starts from the
early years of education - giving the basic principles of personal,
physical and spiritual cleanliness in health education at schools at
an early age and other means of media communications.
The community as a whole
also has a responsibility to prevention - from strict food safety
cheeks, strict checks on food irradation, control of industrial and
nuclear environmental pollution, water safety, control of drug
addiction by treating the addicts in specialised centres and
controlling the drug smuggling at source. Prohibition of alcohol
drinking and smoking would be encouraged, although a total ban will
not be asked for now. The Islamic Party appreciates the nature of
this society and accepts that people have different attitudes to
smoking and alcohol although drinking and driving would be
restricted further with tighter controls.
Immunisation
Vaccination would be
encouraged where serious illness can be prevented. Immunisation
programmes should not depend on commercial implications. Serum based
on halal sources should be made available when required, to
encourage immunisation.
Cervical
Smears
While proposing to launch
a national campaign to inform women about the need for regular
smears, and aiming to improve the smear uptake by all possible
means, we strongly believe that by adopting the Islamic preventive
methods in dealing with sexuality will, in time, reduce the
incidence of cervical pre-cancerous conditions along with invasive
cervical cancer. Sexual activity is considered with an eye on
prevention in Islam. Preservation of the structure of society
through the maintenance of the family unit is of paramount
importance. Islam prohibits extra-marital sexual activity and
considers it one of the sins and sources of shame. When this
attitude is promoted the incidence of all sexually transmitted
diseases would be reduced dramatically.
Cervical cancer
and AIDS
Circumcision should be
allowed without charge within the NHS as a means of prevention of
cervical cancer and pre-cancer as well as AIDS, as it is now proven
beyond any doubt that circumcised men are less likely to be infected
with AIDS when exposed to infection and are also less likely to pass
on infection to the agents possibly implicated in pre-cancer and
cancer of the cervix.
Healthy attitudes to
family relationships should be encouraged and the younger children
and elderly members of the community would be looked at with greater
respect, an attitude which is needed now as this may reduce the
dependency of the elderly on state resources. This would reduce the
pressure on Community Geriatric Services.
National Health
Services (NHS)
With the increased demand
on resources allocated for health care, the NHS is under increasing
pressures which are threatening the basis of its foundation. The
Islamic Party feels that NHS is an excellent example of an "Islamic"
institution where people in society care for each other, funded by
contributions made equally, and the use of the accumulated resources
will only depend on the need rather than the wealth, social status
or influence. NHS delivers a high standard of medical care for
relatively low cost compared with other Western nations.
The Islamic Party would
advise the increase of resources to the NHS to be allocated broadly
to the following areas:
1. Increase the number
of consultant posts in specified areas and certain specialities to
reduce the patient waiting lists.
2. Improve the working
conditions and pay for nurses to make nursing an attractive
career.
3. General practitioners
are the front line for the NHS, and the type of service they
provide requires constant self motivation. The independent
contractor status should be maintained to enhance this self
motivation.
4. Improve the standard
and status of managers within the service to enable recruitment of
suitably qualified and dedicated people.
5. Community care
requires more organisation in the distribution of resources which
should be uniform throughout the country and not regionally
biased.
6. Research:
There are no taboos in
Islam, all topics should be studied thoroughly, with the
provisions of adequate resources. The Islamic Party deplores
recent plans by the government to privatise the NHS. This it
feels is a betrayal of the humanitarian principles upon which
the NHS was founded. The generation which made the NHS possible
would be the most affected if these plans come to fruition.
The Private
Sector
There is scope for the private sector to develop
within Islam, provided that it is based upon the principles of
justice, fairness and mutual respect.
Health
Education
Caring for health is
basically the responsibility of the individual, based upon the
principles of prevention, including attitudes to sexuality, dietary
practice and emphasising naturally produced foods such as honey
which serves both health and environmental purposes. All these
principles could he incorporated in the educational system. If the
health principles of Islam were incorporated into the fabric of the
British way of life the benefits to that society would be measured
in the reduction of crippling and debilitating diseases such as
coronary heart disease. By following the Islamic Dietary Code, the
prohibition of smoking and drinking alcohol, and preventing sexually
transmitted diseases such as AIDS, cervical cancer, and related
conditions, there would be a corresponding reduction in psychiatric
illness and drug dependence.
Islam presents a
comprehensive and convincing explanation to the creation of the
universe, life and death, and has a clear of conduct regarding the
relationship between individuals in society as well as giving the
individual the ultimate peace of mind and self confidence, freeing
him from the bonds of slavery to wealth or fellow human beings.
The most basic principle
of Islam is respect of human life, irrespective of its origin,
creed, colour, social status or belief.
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