Staff, patients and visitors celebrated Eid al-Fitr at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for the first time since the move into the new hospital.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan which is the Islamic holy month of fasting. The event was held outside the Faith and Community Centre at QEHB and was a resounding success with over 350 people joining in the celebrations and sampling food.

Rehanah Sadiq, the Muslim chaplain at UHB, stated “Beforehand we were all wondering how it would work out with an open space, but it worked very well. The openness helped attract a wide range of people that we struggled to get in the old QE. Today I have seen staff, patients, families and children from all backgrounds coming together and enjoying the food and the chance to talk.”

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam in which Muslims fast from dawn until sundown – abstaining from food and drink, and guarding themselves from negative behaviour. 

Although Eid is a Muslim celebration, people from all walks of life were welcome to attend the event. Mawlana Akm Kamruzzaman, a UHB Muslim Chaplain said “Eid is a time of happiness, and here at QEHB we share our happiness with colleagues of all faiths.”

The event was funded by QEHB Charities and money raised at the Faith Centre by generous donations from staff, visitors, patients and family members.

Muslim Chaplain Mawlana Akm Kamruzzaman speaking with RCDM staff.