William Osler Health System Apologizes for Shaving Sikh Patient Without Consent
The patient, Joginder Singh Kaler, was unconscious at the time, and despite his family's clear refusal, hospital staff shaved his beard.
William Osler Health System (Osler) has issued a formal apology following an incident where a Sikh patient’s beard was shaved without consent at Brampton Civic Hospital, sparking outrage within the Sikh community. The patient, Joginder Singh Kaler, was unconscious at the time, and despite his family’s clear refusal, hospital staff shaved his beard—a violation of the Sikh faith, which mandates the preservation of uncut hair.
Kaler’s family expressed their devastation, noting that he had never shaved his beard in his entire life, an essential part of his commitment to Sikhism. The act of shaving a Sikh’s beard, or “Kesh,” is seen as deeply disrespectful and spiritually significant. Many Sikh organizations and community leaders condemned the incident, highlighting it as a severe breach of religious and personal dignity, especially in a city with a significant Sikh population.
In a joint statement, Dr. Frank Martino, President and CEO of William Osler Health System, and Pardeep Singh Gill, Board Chair and Treasurer, took full responsibility for the event, offering a deep apology to the patient, his family, and the wider Sikh community:
“At William Osler Health System (Osler), we are deeply committed to delivering high quality, people-centred, compassionate, and culturally safe care. Recently, we failed to uphold religious and cultural care practices when a Sikh patient’s beard was shaved without consent and without medical necessity. We take full responsibility for this incident and have extended our deepest apologies to the patient and his family. We also want to extend our apology to the Sikh community and the exceptional culturally diverse community that we serve. The distress this incident has caused the patient, the patient’s family, and the wider Sikh community – including our own workforce – has profoundly affected us as an organization and beyond.”
Dr. Martino added that Osler is now committed to learning from this incident and implementing changes to prevent such occurrences in the future. Osler, with the support of its Board of Directors, has completed a thorough investigation in collaboration with the patient’s family, community leaders, and hospital staff. This includes enhanced cultural safety training for staff to ensure the respect of religious and cultural beliefs in all aspects of care.
In a city like Brampton, where the Sikh community plays a vital role, incidents like these resonate deeply. The health system acknowledged this, expressing their gratitude for the contributions of the Sikh community and their commitment to rebuilding trust through meaningful action.
The full statement underscored Osler’s dedication to upholding the dignity of all patients, emphasizing that the voices of patients and their families must be heard, respected, and acted upon in every interaction.
Osler’s efforts now focus on strengthening cultural sensitivity training and policies, ensuring that the incident serves as a catalyst for more inclusive and respectful healthcare practices moving forward.