40 years after a deadly plane crash, Gujarat hospital at ground zero again
Its 100 acre campus – which has four four-storey buildings and two-storey dining halls and hostel buildings – bore the brunt of India's worst single-aircraft crash this week. But Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College in Ahmedabad was also at the heart of the rescue-and-relief operations four decades ago when 133 people died in another tragic air crash just 2.5km from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport.
'It was the backbone during the 1988 Indian Airlines air crash in Ahmedabad, where there were only 2 survivors,' said Dr MF Shaikh, former head of the burns and plastic surgery department, BJ Medical College. Shaikh was referring to the October 19, 1988 tragedy of flight 113, which crashed on its final approach to Ahmedabad airport. He said since the medical college was in close proximity to the airport, many of the passengers were brought in for treatment.
Established in 1871 as Ahmedabad Medical School with only 14 students, BJ Medical College is the oldest medical college in Gujarat and among the oldest in India.
It has one main campus in the Meghaninagar neighbourhood, where a 2,500 bed hospital stands. Another 1,200 bed hospital came up within the same campus in 2019. The government-run Civil Hospital shares the same compound.
Thursday's crash took place close to the main campus area, with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner hitting the medical college's hostel buildings and dining halls. While the four hostel buildings' facade was charred, the two mess buildings were partially collapsed.
'Every year, 256 MBBS students secure admission here, apart from over 400 post graduation seats,'said Ahmedabad-based Dr Javed Vakil, a senior consultant nephrologist at Aartham Multi Super Speciality Hospital.
Dr Vakil said over 300 kidney transplants are conducted in the government-run institute annually, and patients come from distant corners of the state.
'In 1879, a generous donation of ₹20,000 by Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy led to the school being renamed BJ Medical School. The institution steadily expanded, securing affiliation with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Bombay in 1917 and later with Bombay University in 1946, earning its status as BJ Medical College, offering London College of Professional Studies diplomas,' said the hospital website.
The postgraduate courses are offered across 24 branches and super speciality courses are offered across 11 branches.
The hospital was also the backbone during the 2001 Bhuj earthquake relief, the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack, and medical emergencies such as the 2009-10 swine flu outbreak and the 2020-21 pandemic. 'This hospital has been handling such mass casualties since the beginning,' said Dr Shaikh. 'In fact, the Civil Hospital saw its worst time when the trauma centre was bombed in the 2008 Ahmedabad bombings. Yet, the hospital did not come to a standstill.'
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