Volunteer Doctors Staff Free Health Clinic At Islamic Center Of Cleveland

For the past month, doctors volunteering their time on the weekends have been seeing patients at a new clinic inside the Islamic Center of Cleveland in Parma.

The 7-10 physicians are all Muslim. Dr. Mansoor Ahmed is a sleep care doctor and runs the new clinic.

He says he got the idea for the free clinic when he saw one that a friend opened in Jacksonville, Florida.

“This is part of our religion – the giving back to our community,” said Ahmed. “They’re giving back over there. If the Jacksonville community is doing it, why aren’t we doing it?”

Ahmed said his clinic is different because it will offer more specialists than a typical free clinic, including four psychiatrists, which will be valuable to Muslim community members.

“They need to have that forum where they can just walk in — No insurance? No problem. Underinsurance? No problem,” said Ahmed. “But they can also have the privacy and they are seen by doctors that understand their ethnic sensitivities.”

The clinic’s ribbon cutting ceremony is March 27. It’s completely free and runs on small donations. People from any background are welcome, as long as they are uninsured or underinsured.

Ahmed said he hopes to eventually partner with one of the region's hospitals but first they have to be established for a while.