Religious discrimination is truly at an all-time high. After nurse Sister Sarah Kuteh from Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent offered to pray with her patients before operations, she was fired by her bosses for allegedly breaching hospital guidelines and initiating "unwanted discussions" with patients.
Kuteh, a mother of three, has over 15 years of experience as a nurse. She said it is part of her job to ask people preparing for surgery about their religion. That's why she is now suing the hospital for unfair dismissal.
She told the Daily Mail that her sacking is "disproportionate and punitive," since the patients really appreciate their chats about religion.
Kuteh cannot help but break down in tears as she recalled her dismissal. "It was embarrassing for me – and painful after all I had done in my years as a nurse. I was told I couldn't even speak to my colleagues. All I had done was to nurse from my heart. How could it be harmful to tell someone about Jesus?" she said.
Her bosses had told her that she had upset patients with her religious talks and that she disregarded their warnings that she was being unprofessional.
She first heard about the complaints in June, which "shocked" her. Kuteh reportedly gave a patient a Bible even though the patient did not want one. The patient allegedly became uncomfortable after Kuteh started "preaching" at her.
The hospital then conducted an investigation into the complaints, and Kuteh was subsequently found guilty of violating hospital rules, leading to her dismissal in August. Her appeal to be reinstated was rejected.
Kuteh said the hospital's decision was flawed since she was not even shown the complaints. She has now sought the support of the Christian Legal Centre.
For its part, the hospital maintains it did nothing wrong. It said in a statement: "We have a duty to our patients that when they are at their most vulnerable they are not exposed to unsolicited beliefs and/ or views, religious or otherwise. We feel we have acted appropriately in this case."
