The Spirit of Khidmat

In every conversation we have with every member of staff at Shaukat Khanum Hospital (SKMCH) the word ‘Khidmat’ keeps cropping up. But what is Khidmat?

In the tradition of many Islamic cultures Khidmat means ‘service to others,’ carried out for the pleasure of Allah, without expectation of gain or benefit. At SKMCH, this word is a part of the general vocabulary among staff. We realize this all the more when we speak to Chacha Imtiaz Khan, a Security Guard at the hospital in Lahore.

“Our job as the security team is primarily to ensure a secure environment at the Hospital,” says Chacha Imtiaz, who has a kindly face and a compassionate demeanor despite the authority he must project as a security personnel. “But our responsibility goes further. When a patient and his/her attendant enter the Hospital, their first encounter with a representative here is with the security guard. Therefore, we make sure we are kind to the families of patients, knowing they are going through the pain of seeing a loved one suffer.”

“We have to always remain good natured,” he explains, “at the end of the day, we are doing ‘khidmat’ for families that are suffering. We know that those who have come through the doors of this Hospital are in pain, they are going through a difficult time; this realization is a very important part of our duty, we must not add to their troubles.”

Like all the staff at SKMCH, kindness is an essential part of Chacha Imtiaz’s interaction with patients and their families. So much so that his eagerness to go out of his way to help patients is extraordinary.

“There are so many patients here who cannot speak Urdu, but we have staff members who are multi-lingual and can successfully communicate with the patient or his/her attendant.” Chacha Imtiaz himself is one of these members of staff. He explains that having interacted with so many patients who speak a variety of languages, he has picked up these languages over his years of service. When needed, he puts them to use in order to make sure no patient feels alienated or lost.

“Sometimes it just takes a warm smile to make a patient feel comfortable and at home,” says Chacha Imtiaz, “so I always try to greet the patients with a smile on my face.