UAE-based Malayali doctor donates Rs 1 crore to families of medical students killed in Air India crash.
UAE-based doctor and philanthropist from Kerala, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, has announced ₹6 crore in financial aid for the families of medical students and doctors affected by the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad.
Announcing the relief from Abu Dhabi, Dr Shamsheer, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings and managing director of VPS Health, said he was deeply shaken when he saw the aftermath of the crash on June 12. He said the images reminded him of the similar hostels where he lived during his medical education at Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru and Sri Ramachandra Medical College in Chennai.
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He said, “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,”.
Dr Shamsheer’s relief package includes ₹1 crore for each of the four deceased students’ families, ₹20 lakh each for five seriously injured students, and ₹20 lakh each for the families of doctors who lost loved ones. The financial assistance will be delivered in coordination with the Junior Doctors’ Association at BJ Medical College.
In 2010, following the Mangaluru air crash, Dr Shamsheer provided financial assistance and employment opportunities to affected families at Burjeel Holdings in the Middle East.
Dr. Shamsheer emphasised that the support for the Ahmedabad air crash victims is not just financial, but also symbolic. “It is a reminder that the medical community stands together, across generations and geographies,” he said in a statement.
The devastation unfolded on 12 June, when a Boeing 787 aircraft crashed into the hostel and mess blocks of BJ Medical College, killing four medical students, injuring dozens, and claiming the lives of family members of doctors residing on campus.
