WARRINGTON'S Moslem community has launched a campaign to pressure health chiefs to provide a Mosque room at Warrington Hospital.

Members of the town's Islamic Association claim that Moslem patients at the hospital cannot pray because the chapel at the Lovely Lane site is for people of Christian faith.

And they have requested a room and washing facilities to be made available to Moslems to allow them to practice their faith, which involves praying five times a day and washing before prayer.

Campaigner Bob Stewart, an honorary member of the association, said: "I have many Moslem friends and there is a need for a small Mosque room at Warrington Hospital. This is something they should be definitely looking at providing. When I was in hospital I was put in a wheel chair and taken to mass. That is not possible for Moslems at the moment and that is wrong."

Moslem Safdar Sultan, 65, of Marina Avenue, Great Sankey, spent three days in Warrington Hospital earlier in the year and claims he was forced to pray by his bed side behind a curtain because there were no facilities for him to use.

Mr Sultan said: "The staff were very good and brought me clean sheets to kneel on but I think it is very essential that if other communities are provided with proper facilities to pray, we should also be provided with a place.

"Many of the doctors who work at the hospital are Moslem and this would be a something that they could use as well. Praying facilities for Moslems have already been provided in places like Manchester Airport. We are a growing community."

The Islamic Association claims that it approached hospital chiefs about the problem as long as two years ago and still nothing has been done.

But a Warrington Hospital NHS Trust spokesman told the GUARDIAN this week that the hospital provided support for people of all faiths.

He added: "As part of a regular review of patient facilities, the hospital is looking at enhancing the ways in which it provides that support."

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