12 days after AI 171 crash, medicalstudents gather to start new mess

Time of India

8 hours ago

Ahmedabad: On the fateful day of June 12 when the Air India 171 crashed into the BJ Medical College UG, PG hostel mess building killing four medicos having their lunch and injuring 24 others, Dr Smit Patel escaped by a matter of minutes as he chose to have a quick early lunch that day and leave in a rush for work.
A medical intern, Patel got overwhelmed with emotion as the hostel students gathered for the puja ceremony for a new mess starting operations, albeit at a new premise.
"It all comes back – the commotion, the relief and rescue work, the arrival of all agencies… But after 12 days of the incident, what matters most is the resilience of the medical students who worked tirelessly in face of all adversities and faced the challenge of suffering personal losses and yet reporting for duty for hundreds dead and injured in the plane crash.
In such circumstances, the start of the mess is a sign of new hope," says Patel.
On Tuesday, the students performed puja at the ground floors of Sopanam 7-8 and Atulyam 11-12 under the guidance of a priest, praying for the departed souls and seeking blessings for new beginnings. These open spaces are currently converted into makeshift kitchens complete with stoves and utensils.
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Some of the women cooks were back as 'mahaprasad' was prepared for the residents of the buildings housing about 650-odd doctors and students.
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"Initially it will be a tiffin-only arrangement managed by students as dining table-chair set-up is yet to be arranged. The exams are approaching, and ensuring regular food was a priority. After the exams are over in about a month's time, hopefully all will be in order," said Dr Kevin Kotadiya, pursuing his internship and coordinators for the initiative. "Some of the mess cooks got injured when the plane suddenly crashed into the mess building and are still recuperating.
But we will bring them back soon."
After the irreparable damage to no less than three buildings including hostel mess in the crash, the major challenge for the authorities was to arrange for basic amenities. Medicos not directly involved in treatment of the injured were sent home by the authorities. The measure was also to calm the nerves of the parents and relatives of the medical students, said authorities.
Dr Minakshi Parikh, dean of BJ Medical College, said that the students have taken initiative to set up the mess which will also be managed by them currently.
"The state government has arranged for the utensils required and ration for one month. We have also requested the authorities to ensure restoration of the water and sewage connection damaged in the incident," she said.
The menu will be simple – chapati, daal, rice, and two curries for the tiffins to be supplied to about 1000 doctors and students living on the campus. For the evenings, the committee of students has decided on a rotating menu including Pav Bhaji and Dal Baati among others.
Dr Shrut Patel, another medical intern, said that the primary purpose of starting the mess is two-fold. "The outside food is not good in the long run for health. Likewise, it is also expensive. As it is managed by the student committee, the attempt is to ensure that the per meal cost does not exceed Rs 70-80 while ensuring hygiene and quality," he said.
The cooks and support staff that got injured in the incident had earlier told TOI that it will take some time for them to go back on their previous jobs with contractors. But they had expressed a wish to join the mess and be part of the medical student community's daily life again.