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UAE-based doctor and philanthropist Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil has announced ₹6 crore as financial aid for the families of medical students and doctors affected by the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.
Dr. Vayalil is the founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings and the managing director of VPS Healthcare, based in Abu Dhabi.
This tragic crash happened on June 12, when an Air India flight crashed into the hostel mess of BJ Medical College minutes after takeoff. A total of 242 people, including passengers and crew, were on the flight, and 241 of them died. Another 29 people on the ground—medical students, doctors, and their family members—also lost their lives. Some of them were in the hostel, while others were in the mess having lunch.
“It Reminded Me Of the Places I Once Called Home”
While announcing the relief package, Dr. Shamsheer said he was deeply shaken after seeing visuals of the aftermath.
He said it reminded him of his own student life, having stayed in similar hostels while studying at Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru 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 corridor, 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. Those students started the day thinking about lectures, assignments, and patients. Their lives ended in a way none of us could ever imagine,” he told The Indian Express.
He added how those young men also belonged to the same medical fraternity he once did. He recalled how staying up late to study, sitting at crowded tables in the mess, and walking back after tiring night shifts were part of everyday life, one that shaped both doctors and people. “It’s heartbreaking to have that life stolen so unexpectedly, so violently and so suddenly,” he said.
Relief Package Announced
Dr. Shamsheer’s ₹6 crore aid includes:
• ₹1 crore each to the families of four deceased medical students—Rakesh Diyora, Manav Bhadoo, Jay Prakash Chaudhary, and Aryan Rajput
• ₹20 lakh each for 5 seriously injured students
• ₹20 lakh each for the families of doctors who lost their loved ones in the crash
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 fulfil. It is a shared responsibility.”
Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, UAE-based Doctor and Philanthropist
The Junior Doctors’ Association of BJ Medical College will help coordinate the delivery of the financial assistance.
Not the First Time
This isn’t the first time Dr. Vayalil has stepped forward during a crisis. In the 2010 Mangaluru air crash, he extended financial assistance and also provided jobs within his company to affected families. His company, Burjeel Holdings, is one of the leading healthcare providers in West Asia.
(Input From Various Sources)
(Rehash/Pooja Bansal/MSM)
