Family of Sikh man speaks out against Toronto-area hospital after beard shaved

Joginder Singh Kaler, a practicing Sikh, was shaved without consent at Brampton Civic Hospital, says his family. (Kaler family photos)

The family of a Sikh man from Brampton is seeking an apology, an explanation, and a promise to do better from the local hospital network after they say the facial hair of their loved one was removed without their consent.

The incident, according to the family, happened on Aug. 28 or 29, just days after Joginder Singh Kaler was transferred to Brampton Civic Hospital from Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital.

About a month earlier, Kaler, who is 85, had a serious fall and was rushed to the downtown trauma centre for treatment of multiple injuries. During that time, he underwent reconstruction surgery for a fractured jaw and was not shaved for that procedure, his son-in-law Jasjit Dhaliwal told CP24.com late Wednesday afternoon.

While at St. Mike’s, Dhaliwal said the hospital asked them if they could shave his father-in-law’s beard, but the family declined on his behalf, and their wishes were respected.

“When we said ‘no,’ they listened, they held back,” he said.

That wasn’t the case, Dhaliwal said, when his wife’s father was later admitted to Brampton Civic Hospital and staff asked them if they could shave his beard.

“Again, we said no (when they asked us to shave him). We said, ‘You cannot do that. Its our faith, our religion’,” he said.

“But the next day my sister-in-law goes to visit him and he was clean shaved. … It was so shocking to us. For my father-in-law’s entire life he had facial hair, but he’s looking different and it’s very upsetting.”

Many members of the Sikh faith keep their hair unshorn and do not shave. This practice, called kesh, is one of five visible articles of faith observed by initiated Sikhs. It has a deep spiritual significance and is seen as a sign of commitment and acceptance of God’s will.

Dhaliwal said the hospital, which is operated by William Osler Health System, has not provided them with a proper explanation as to why their loved one was shaved against their wishes. He said that staff offered a half-hearted “sorry,” saying that what happened was a “mistake.”

“What was the reason? They had no reason whatsoever to shave him… What happened at Brampton Civic Hospital shouldn’t have happened,” he said, adding that they might have understood if it was a serious, emergency situation, but that wasn’t the case.

“There was no need for this. It was a question of respecting our faith. This feels like an attack on our religion.”

Dhaliwal said he decided to speak out about the incident as the hospital has yet to reach out to them to discuss the incident. He told CP24.com that he felt that it was important to share their story to possibly prevent others from going through the same thing.

“There was no courtesy, no real apology, no explanation, no promise to remedy the situation. … There’s lot of questions, but no answers,” Dhaliwal said, adding that he does not believe that his father-in-law is aware of what has occurred as he’s unconscious and on life support.

“An apology would have gone a long way.”

In a written statement provided to CP24.com on Sept. 11, William Osler Health System said that it is “taking this situation very seriously and is investigating following receipt of this concern and letter today.”

“Osler strives to deliver safe and compassionate care for every patient we serve, and we are sorry and deeply concerned when we do not meet the standard our patients and their families expect and deserve,” the hospital network said.

“Osler respects the religious rights and freedoms of all Canadians, and supports a positive, inclusive, and safe environment while caring for our community and each other with kindness, empathy and understanding.”

According to Osler, Brampton Civic Hospital was completed in 2007 with the help of donations from the Sikh community, which continues to raise ongoing funds for it. The hospital’s emergency department is also named after the religion’s founder, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

The hospital network would not comment on Kaler’s specific situation citing “patient privacy.”

A spokesperson did say, however, that they would be “undertaking a comprehensive review of this case in accordance with our quality review processes.”

“Osler is continually improving processes and clinical practices to ensure all patients receive compassionate, high-quality care,” the hospital network said.

According to the 2021 Census, Brampton is home to the largest Sikh population in Canada representing about a quarter of the city’s 656,000 residents.

Balpreet Singh, of the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSOC), said it’s only reasonable to expect local hospitals to understand and respect the needs of the diverse communities they serve.

“We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for our cultural and religious practices to be respected,” he said, adding the right of patients to practice their faith free from discrimination is part of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

The WSOC is assisting Kaler’s family as they go public with their situation and has also written to Osler’s CEO Dr. Frank Martino “expressing shock and outrage” about what occurred.

“This incident has not only inflicted emotional distress upon Mr. Kaler’s family but has also caused them profound trauma during an already challenging time,” the organization said in a news release.

Singh said it has taken Kaler’s family a “lot of courage to speak out.”

“His family is doing this because they don’t want it to happen to any other family,” he said, adding that for a Sikh having their face shaved without consent is the “most humiliating thing that can happen to an individual.”

“The rights of this family’s loved one were violated. It’s very hurtful for his family.”

In a news release, WCOS said it aware of and has helped support a number of Sikh patients and their families who have experienced “insensitive treatment” or “lack of understanding of the Sikh faith” in recent years at Brampton Civic Hospital.

Osler was asked about previous incidents, but did not provide a comment.

Singh, meanwhile, said that while an apology from the hospital network is a first step, meaningful change is really what’s needed.

“They’ve acknowledged our concerns and promised to do better, but they haven’t. … Committing to ensuring that this doesn’t happen again is more important,” said Singh, who is the non-profit’s legal counsel.

He went on to say that they’ve provided Osler with resources on culturally appropriate patient care for Sikhs, but said they’re not confident they’ve been implemented. The organization has also offered to provide cultural sensitivity training to healthcare providers, but incidents keep occurring, he added.

“This wouldn’t be happening again and again if staff better understood the Sikh faith,” said Singh.

Osler did not comment on WSOC’s aforementioned Sikh patient care resources or staff training offers.