Former Dubai resident among doctors rallying to help Air India plane crash victims
[Editor's Note: Follow KT's live blog for all the latest updates on the Ahmedabad plane crash.]
A former Dubai resident was one of several doctors who rushed to help victims of the plane that crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. 'Our team is a part of the service providers,' Dr Shachi Joshi told Khaleej Times from KD hospital in Ahmedabad. 'We have sent our junior doctors and senior emergency medicine doctors to help. We have also set up blood donation centres already. All the victims have been rushed to the Civil Hospital in the city.'
As someone who lived in the UK for four years, Dr Shachi said she has flown the London-Ahmedabad route several times and the aviation tragedy feels personal for her on many levels. 'I am heartbroken to hear about this crash,' she said. 'I used to live in the UK; I am a resident of Ahmedabad and a doctor who studied at Civil Hospital. We are all trying our best to help in whatever way we can. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, both on flight and the junior doctors residing in the hostel.'
She added that she had met a few families who are still waiting for news about their relatives. Hundreds of passengers and some residents on the ground are feared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The incident occurred when London-bound Air India AI 171 flight which crashed into the undergraduate hostel of BJ Medical College (BJMC) minutes after it took off from the Ahmedabad airport.
Another Ahmedabad resident who grew up in the UAE, Dr Shahid Haideri said that the news was devastating. 'Having a lot of colleagues working at Civil Hospital, some of them living in the very next building where the crash happened, the news came as a shock,' he said. 'The tragedy that has struck both the passengers on the flight as well as the young doctors who were just having lunch is deeply saddening. Doctors from all over Ahmedabad have come out to help the staff at Civil Hospital with the mass casualty.'
'I cannot believe it'
Dubai resident Dr Shehnaz Husain is an alumnus of the BJMC and she said she has been glued to the TV ever since she heard the news. 'Within minutes of the crash, my son-in-law and nephew messaged me,' she said. 'I still cannot believe it. The visuals of the hostel going up in smoke are so heartbreaking.'
She added that she was still building up the courage to reach out to her friends. 'I haven't had the heart to call any of them,' she said, her voice trembling with emotion. 'I can't tell you how heartbroken I am. The lives of so many young and bright doctors have been lost. As someone who studied in the college, I know the kind of effort and work you have to put in to get admission into it and how many sacrifices parents have to make to ensure that their children reach there. All of that went up in smoke in just a few minutes.'
'Shocked'
Abu Dhabi resident Azmina Thanda said she was shocked when she heard of the news. 'It is very shocking what has happened,' she said. 'A lot of my friends in the UK who I went to school with are from Ahmedabad. It is very worrying to think if their families or themselves were travelling. I have been reaching out to some old friends to make sure they are okay.'
The British expat with Gujarati roots said her heart went out to the victims and their families. 'I am thinking about the families of the victims,' she said. 'So far, no names have been provided, and everyone's anxiety levels are through the roof. I am imagining them having to rush to the hospital and look for their family members. It is just so heartbreaking.'
All hands on deck
A doctor at one of the hospitals who spoke on condition of anonymity told Khaleej Times that it was an all-hands on deck situation. 'All the doctors of Civil Hospital, irrespective of whether they are on duty or not, have been asked to report to the hospital,' he said. 'There is total chaos in and around the city.'
He added that at least 60 to 70 people are believed to have been in the building into which the plane crashed. 'Many of them have died or been severely injured,' he said. 'We have seen messages that Civil Hospital has asked close family members of those on the flight to give DNA samples. This indicates that many of the dead bodies are beyond recognition. The requirement of O negative blood is very high and the entire city is trying to pitch in to help as much as possible.'
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