The news is that a New York hospital has paid $20,000 for negligently shaving the beard, eyebrows, and mustache of an elderly Sikh patient at its facility.

In a press release, a US-based community coalition, United Sikhs said Westchester county healthcare has paid out the sum in an out of court settlement with the family of Pyara Singh Sahansra.

It can be recalled a nurse cut Pyara Singh Sahansra beard, eyebrows, and mustache on June 3, 2007. A little over a month, Singh died on July 18, 2007. Singh was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. It is learnt that the nurse was not trained to care for Sikh patients.

The patients family had instructed the staff at the hospital about Sikhs and the religious practice of keeping kesh (unshorn hair).Moreover, they had also placed signs on Pyara Singh’s bed to remind staff of the practice.

The hospital now has agreed to pay $20,000 in compensation to Pyara Singh’s family. Apart from this, the final settlement also included provisions for training Taylor care centre employees on Sikh patient care.

Speaking on this, attorney Robert Greene, who led the settlement discussions said, "We are very pleased with this agreement. It points the way for other health care facilities across the country to treat Sikh persons with true respect for their religious human rights."

On the other hand, United Sikhs' staff attorney Jaspreet Singh said, "It is extremely unfortunate that a Sikh patient in a hospital was treated in such an egregious manner."

In Sikh religion, keeping of hair in its natural state is regarded as living in harmony with the will of God, and is a symbol of the Khalsa brotherhood and the Sikh faith. Moreover, they had also placed signs on Pyara Singh’s bed to remind staff of the practice.