A hospital in the Colombian city of Valledupar placed a ban on women wearing miniskirts or shorts within the establishment walls, reported local newspaper El Heraldo on Wednesday.
Considering the city’s proximity to the Caribbean coast and thus soaring tropical temperatures, the controversial new rule, which was introduced by the management of the Rosario Pumarejo Lopez Hospital, stands to prohibit the entry of scantily clad women unless in case of emergency.
The director of the institution, Jhonny Florez, indicated that the rule applied to both staff as well as visitors and he justified the decision stating that “just as people respect the Mayor’s churches, so they should respect the public space of a hospital”.
The restriction is plastered across posters throughout the building and enforced by security who stand guard at all major entrances and exits.
El Heraldo witnessed an example of the new restriction when a young woman came to the entrance showing signs of a panic attack. A guard blocked her path and pointed to the sign at which point the woman obeyed and left, saying “one must respect the rules”.
There are opinions a plenty for both sides, with many citizens agreeing that a hospital is not a location in which to exhibit oneself, while others claim that such an essential public institution should not discriminate against which members of the public it allows over its threshold.