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Muslim Doctors provide free health care in US
In the heat of the political turmoil and ever present religious segregation within the US and wider world, these Muslim doctors run a clinic that gives free health care to those in need, no matter their religious faith or affiliation.
The Al-Shifa Clinic which means “Cure” in Arabic, was founded in 2000 in San Bernardino, one of the poorest areas of California, and treats a majority of non-Muslim patients. Dr Talant Khan, director of the clinic explains this wasn’t about helping a particular religious group:
"It does not have to be the Muslim community because most of the people we see are Hispanic and people of other faiths. We want to help them out. Our religion tells us that we should take care of under-served."
For those that don't know, charity plays a massive part in Muslim life and 'zakat' (which means charity) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The volunteer doctors who work at the clinic are all US citizens who arrived in the US as refugees or immigrants, and they stress the importance of this free service for those unable to afford health care in the city.
Largely relying on donations, as long as donors continue to come forward, they can continue to help those who are in need of medical services but don't have the money or necessary medical insurance.
The doctors also help newly qualified medical students who work as interns at the charity based clinic. For many patients who simply can’t afford treatment, the clinic is nothing short of a miracle.
