Ahmedabad plane crash: UAE-based doctor announces financial assistance for BJ Medical College doctors and kin
United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based doctor and philanthropist Dr Shamsheer Vayalil has announced a financial aid of a total of Rs 6 crore to the families of the medical students who died or sustained injuries after an Air India plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostels on June 12.
The relief package includes Rs 1 crore aid to the families of each of the four deceased students, Rs 20 lakh each to five seriously injured students, and Rs 20 lakh each for the families of doctors who lost their loved ones in the crash.
The London-bound plane crashed shortly after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport and the incident not only claimed the lives of 242 passengers and crew members on board, but also eight more present at the hostel the aircraft crashed into. Dozens of others present at hostel in Meghaninagar were also injured in the incident.
The deceased medical students have been identified as Rakesh Diyora, Aryan Rajput, Manav Bhadoo, and Jay Prakash Chaudhary. Family members of doctors were also killed.
Announcing the relief, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings and Managing Director of VPS Health, Dr Shamsheer, said he had lived in similar hostels while studying at Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore and Sri Ramachandra Medical College in Chennai.
'I saw the footage from the mess and the hostel, and it truly shook me. It reminded me of the places I once called home, the corridors, the beds, the laughter, the pressure of exams, and the anticipation of a call from family. No one expects a commercial aircraft to come crashing into that world,' he said. 'Those students started the day thinking about lectures, assignments, and patients. Their lives ended in a way none of us could ever imagine.'
'These young men were part of the same fraternity I once belonged to. I know what it's like to stay up preparing for clinical exams, to crowd around a table in the mess hall, to walk into a hostel room after a tiring shift. That life builds not just doctors, but characters. And to have that life stolen, so violently, so suddenly, is heartbreaking,' he said.
Dr Shamsheer further said: 'What happened cannot be undone. These students were preparing to serve others. Their memories must not fade into headlines. We must carry forward the dreams they didn't get to fulfill. It is a shared responsibility.'
The Junior Doctors' Association, which has been closely involved in supporting the affected students and families, is coordinating with authorities to facilitate assistance.
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