Meet doctors Nasreen Fatima Mohsin and Saima Khokar, both experienced gynecologists at Jabal Al-Rahma General Hospital. “We have been coming here for three years, and we just can't describe in words how spiritually charged we feel being here on this most important day,” Mohsin told Arab News on Saturday afternoon.
Mohsin is from Karachi and Khokar from Lahore and both are attached to the Ministry of Health's Al-Hira Hospital in Makkah. They have been in the Kingdom for quite some years.
“We look forward to coming here every year. We consider ourselves lucky for being given a chance to serve the pilgrims. Not everyone is lucky like us. It is not the monetary benefit or any other benefit, it is the pleasure of Allah that we seek through our service to the pilgrims.”
Mohsin says when there are fewer patients they rush to say their prayers. “Whenever we get a chance we pray for our loved ones, our children and our country. Being away from our country makes us feel nostalgic, and therefore, there is greater intensity in our prayers for our beloved country,” she said.
Khokar says whenever they meet a pilgrim who speaks their language, they request him or her to pray for all Muslims and especially for Pakistan. “Ours is a great country. We are the best people in the world. The whole world knows about Lahore and its hospitality. Our country is going through a crisis but all this is temporary. Our people are good, and as long as the people are good our country has hope and will continue to have hope,” she said.
For both the doctors, it is a relief to see patients smile after leaving the hospital.
“Some pilgrims come in suffering from exhaustion, some suffer from upper respiratory tract infection, and many have this perennial rash on their feet because of long and constant walks,” said Khokar. “We apply balm on their feet and administer antibiotics to them. They feel elated and they shower us with lots of blessings. That is our reward. What more can one aspire for?” she asked. “The elderly women are especially warm. They treat us like their daughters.”
Both say health facilities have gotten better over the years. “Both in terms of equipment and services we have improved a lot and learned a lot from past experiences. More than the actual treatment, sometimes a mere word makes the pilgrim happy, especially the one who is separated from his group,” said Mohsin.
“One could work at any hospital. But think of the honor of serving at a hospital that is only a few steps away from where our Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered his most famous sermon,” she said. “Nothing can be a bigger honor than this one. Alhamdullilah,” said Khokar.
