Dr. Reshma Khan founded a free clinic for people without insurance
In 2024, the South Carolina House recognized Dr. Reshma Khan’s work with Shifa Free Clinic in the Charleston area. The resolution describes the clinic and its relationship with ICNA Relief, a Muslim charitable organization. It records an effort to extend medical care to people who face barriers to access.
From treating patients to building a clinic
Charleston Magazine traces the idea to Khan’s work at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in 2008. She described learning about Islam with her young son and beginning to think differently about service. Establishing a clinic required administrative knowledge as well as medical training; she recalled struggling to turn the idea into an operating institution.
The work behind the recognition
The House resolution records Khan’s obstetrics and gynecology residency in Ohio, work in Indiana and Maryland, and move to Charleston in 2007. She founded Shifa through ICNA Relief while working at the VA. That career connected an established medical practice with a separate route to care for uninsured neighbors.
The resolution also describes her participation in interfaith programs and speaking engagements at churches and the College of Charleston. It is a public record of recognition, rather than an independent assessment of clinical outcomes.
Count visits carefully
Charleston Magazine reported 3,690 patient visits in 2022. Visits are appointments, not necessarily distinct people: one patient may return several times. The article’s forecast for 2026 is not evidence that the predicted number was achieved.
For readers interested in the broader pattern, our healthcare collection connects individual practitioners with the organizations they helped build. Anyone seeking treatment should consult the clinic’s current information about access and eligibility.
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Explore the original reporting and organizational records:
Selected local stories, not a complete account of the state. Events and figures refer to the periods stated above. Check directly with organizations for current services.