(Clock Wise) Manav Bhadu, Rakesh Diyora, Jaiprakash Choudhary, and Aaryan Rajput
UAE Doctor Pledges AED 2.5 Million to Support Families of Medical Students and Doctors Killed in Air India Crash

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Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
'It's surreal': Doctor in Dubai transit recalls son's narrow escape in India plane crash
As cardiac surgeon Dr Apurva Patel and his wife Kesha boarded their connecting flight from Dubai to Ahmedabad on Thursday evening, they carried more than luggage. They carried the weight of what could have been. On June 12, an Air India Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, slamming into the Atulyam Hostel of BJ Medical College. The crash killed 241 people onboard and at least 39 students on the ground, many of them medical students who were having lunch at the hostel mess when the aircraft tore through the building. Dr Patel, who had been in Canada at the time, is an alumnus of the same medical college. His 19-year-old son, Nisarg, is currently studying medicine there and is a regular at the very mess that was reduced to rubble. 'That mess serves good food. Students prefer it over other options,' he told Khaleej Times during a transit stop in Dubai, where he briefly visited friends Dhaval Mehta and Vaishali in Business Bay. 'My son eats there almost every day. He could have been there that day. The only reason he wasn't was because he had an exam.' 'Relief to hear his voice' The call from Canada to check on his son was one of the hardest he's ever made. 'Friends and well-wishers started calling me. I immediately rang him. It was an immense relief to hear his voice.' For Nisarg, though, survival has come at a heavy emotional cost. 'He's numb with shock,' Dr. Patel said. 'He lost friends, batchmates — kids he studied with. He hasn't been able to process it.' Although Dr. Patel never lived in the Atulyam Hostel — it was built years after he graduated — the campus remains deeply personal. The family now lives around seven kilometres from the crash site, and Dr. Patel practices at Epic Hospital in Ahmedabad. 'Seeing images of that place reduced to rubble and smoke… it's surreal,' he said. Air India Flight AI 171 had barely cleared 600 feet after takeoff en route to London Gatwick when it suffered a sudden failure and veered off course. The aircraft crashed into the hostel complex, making it one India's deadliest aviation disaster in more than a decade the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. As the Patels return to Ahmedabad for the first time since the tragedy, they know the road home won't feel the same. 'I'll be passing the site on my way from the airport,' Dr. Patel said. 'I don't know what it'll be like to see it in person. That place meant something to so many of us.'


Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
India plane crash: 215 DNA samples of victims matched, medical authorities say
Medical authorities in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad have said that 215 DNA samples of the those who died in the Air India plane crash have been matched. Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi told news agency ANI on Thursday that the mortal remains of 198 deceased have been handed over to their families. "Of the 198 deceased, the mortal remains of 15 deceased have been dispatched by air and 183 by road through ambulances," Joshi said. Air India had earlier confirmed that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in 241 fatalities out of 242 people on board. The sole survivor, a British national of Indian origin, is currently being treated in hospital. According the flight manifest, the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian.


Web Release
2 days ago
- Web Release
Dr. Thumbay Moideen Honored with 5th Honorary Doctorate by University of Lublin, Poland
In a moment of immense pride and global recognition, Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder and President of Thumbay Group, has been conferred his Fifth Honorary Doctorate, this time by the prestigious University of Lublin, Poland. This accolade reaffirms his unmatched contributions to global healthcare, medical education, and Research for the community development. The honorary doctorate was awarded in recognition of Dr. Moideen's extraordinary leadership in establishing the First Private Academic Health Sytem and the region's largest private medical university — and for transforming Thumbay Group into a global model of purpose-driven entrepreneurship in healthcare, education & Research. Under his visionary leadership, Thumbay Group has impacted millions across more than 175 nationalities, offering compassionate care, research excellence, and world-class medical training. The University of Lublin acknowledged Dr. Moideen's pioneering efforts in integrating innovation with empathy, notably through the Thumbay International Research Grant (TIRG) — an initiative investing AED 3 million annually in areas like cancer immunology, AI in healthcare,precision medicine and many more Area's of Research. From a young entrepreneur in Karnataka to being celebrated as the most respected Indian Muslim and leading Beary in the world, Dr. Thumbay Moideen's journey is a testament to what's possible when faith meets action. Recognized as the leading NRI from Karnataka in the Gulf region, he is admired not just for his accomplishments, but for the values that drive them. Once someone who measured success through projects and milestones, he has evolved into a changemaker who defines impact by how many lives his work touches. With this latest recognition, Dr. Moideen joins an elite group of globally honored visionaries who have reshaped industries while staying rooted in service, humility, and impact. This doctorate reflects not only his entrepreneurial brilliance but also his enduring belief that health and education are fundamental rights, not privileges. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Moideen said: 'If our work has empowered others to dream, to heal, to grow, then I consider it a success. It's no longer about how far I've gone, but how many I've taken along. I want Thumbay Group to be remembered as a force that empowered the underprivileged, raised the standards of education,healthcare & Research.' The vision of Thumbay Group is to deliver Excellence by building a seamless ecosystem of education, healthcare, and innovation. From its flagship Gulf Medical University to hospitals, labs, rehabilitation centers, and AI-driven research programs, the Group continues its mission of shaping the future of healthcare —the Group plans to Double its Healthcare capacity and expand its all business to grow 5 fold and have a global presence.