Anaesthetists fasting during Ramadan
Ramadan is the Arabic name for the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is a special month for Muslims worldwide. Ramadan is regarded as one of the holiest months as the first verses of the Qu’ran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during this month. Ramadan begins with the first sighting of the new moon and Muslims worldwide fast during this month, which means they refrain from eating and drinking from beginning of sunrise to sunset, they are also encouraged to give to charity, show kindness and patience and place extra emphasis on reciting the Qu’ran. Fasting should only be observed by those who are in good health, with exemptions in place for certain circumstances such as travellers, the elderly or pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Ramadan begins 10 to 12 days earlier each year as the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar calendar with months that are 29 to 30 days long. So, the next time Ramadan starts at the end of March, like this year, will be in about 33 years from now. This means that throughout this 33 year cycle Ramadan will fall on all the months of the year, including the longest fasting hours in June (with up to 15 hours of daylight fasting) and considerably shorter fasting hours in December. In 2030, Ramadan will be observed at the beginning of January and then again at the end of December, therefore twice in that year.
For many anaesthetists who are working and fasting it brings physical, mental, emotional and spiritual challenges. Between us we have progressed through all levels of medical and anaesthetic training up to our current positions as consultants and would like to share our experiences as anaesthetists fasting during Ramadan.
One of the biggest challenges during Ramadan is adjusting to the new routine of waking up for an early meal before sunrise, not eating or drinking all day, whilst maintaining focus and performance as per normal. The first few days of Ramadan are often the toughest with hunger, thirst, headaches and tiredness dominating. But as the days progress, we get used to the new routine and these sensations subside and are replaced by a sense of strength and resilience. Many colleagues and friends often tell us how they could never do this, but it is amazing what one can achieve when you put your mind to it! Being busy also helps make the time go by faster.
Colleagues often feel bad if they eat their lunch in front of those who are fasting or forget it is Ramadan and offer us a cup of tea. Please don't feel bad. We make a conscious decision to fast and if we sit in the coffee room during lunch time, we are having a rest and enjoying your company.
Most anaesthetists who are fasting during Ramadan would like to carry on as normal, but this maybe challenging especially as the day progresses and during busy spells and it is easy to just keep going without taking any breaks or having a rest. So please be mindful of those who are fasting and do offer support and help, even simply understanding that they are fasting will be well received. It also may mean that it is difficult to commit to swaps and there may be "not on call" requests within Ramadan. This could be partly due to some people finding fasting with clinical activities challenging or because some people want to maximise the time with family as well as praying or reading Qu’ran to feel closer to Allah (God).
Occasionally iftar (opening of the fast) may coincide when we are at work and we really do appreciate it when colleagues support us and give us a quick break to at least grab a drink of water, traditionally eat some dates and have a little something to eat. We appreciate it is not always possible and we would not leave unless it was safe to do so. Over the years we have both delayed iftar if a patient is critically unwell or we cannot leave theatre.
The end of Ramadan is a day of celebration for all Muslims and is known as Eid-al-Fitr (the festival of the breaking of the fast), which begins with the sighting of the new moon. The moon sighting can vary from country to country and even in different parts of the same country and is often only confirmed the night before, so it is not uncommon for Eid to be celebrated on different days depending on who you follow. This can also make it difficult for us to book annual leave, especially if we are on fixed rotas, which is another challenge many of us have faced.
On Eid, Muslims will attend Eid prayers in the morning, traditionally wearing new clothes and eat something sweet then spend the rest of the day eating meals with family and friends and sharing presents! If you would like to wish someone well on this day, then the phrase ‘Eid Mubarak’ is used.
We would like to wish all our anaesthetic colleagues a blessed month of fasting and Eid Mubarak to everyone!