– Plans To Restore Hospital To Its Former Glory –

Sometimes, a tragedy can prompt an avalanche of good. That’s exactly what happened when the loyal gardener Anil, who had been managing the Woodlands Bungalow in Matheran, succumbed to the deadly Covid 19 because of the lack of appropriate equipment and treatment which could have saved his life. Mumbai-based Adil Gandhy, joint owner of the Woodlands Bungalow, was crestfallen at the loss of the loyal and hardworking Anil, who had served the family property for years.

The novel coronavirus has descended upon us in the form of an unpredictable grim reaper – while some who contract it remain asymptomatic, others lose their lives. In this case, it was a matter of not receiving the right treatment at the right time. Matheran, a beautiful hill station and popular tourist spot, unfortunately does not have a hospital worthy of its name. There is one – the B J Hospital – that was donated by Byramjee Jeejeebhoy decades ago. Unfortunately, the lack of maintenance leaves it in its current dilapidated and largely unserviceable state. 

It was unable to treat Anil when his conditioned worsened. So, his family and a doctor travelled with him to Neral, Panvel and Karjat before they finally found a bed in a hospital in Nerul (Navi Mumbai) but a 14-day struggle later, Anil passed away.

It was this tragedy that had Adil Gandhy visit the B J Hospital hospital in Matheran, for the first time. What he saw shocked him to the core. “The hospital was a crumbling structure, ill-maintained, with no modern-day medical equipment. In a place like Matheran which is akin a protected eco-system, where vehicles are not allowed and horses are the main mode of transportation, the hospital didn’t even have an X-ray machine. This, despite the regular incidents of broken bones when people get thrown off the horses,” Adil Gandhi lamented. Then, like a true Zarthosti, he added, “I decided to get involved and help in any way I could.”

He started out connecting with the doctors managing the hospital – Dr. Tambe, who has been in service here since nine years; and Dr. Yadav – an intern. They shared a list of the basic medical equipment needed urgently by the hospital, including a portable X-Ray machine. Adil Gandhy was quick to mobilize resources – contributing personally as well as from his generous friends – Rustom Vakil and Farida Dubash – and soon, he provided the hospital with its emergency requirements. This has gone a long way in helping the hospital’s functionality and has brought in much relief to the under-privileged patients and locals.

Not long after, Adil received a letter from a grateful Matheran resident, thanking him and the Parsi community for always looking out for the locals. An excerpt, translated from the original letter in Marathi, states, “In the end, only the Parsis came to help us locals… every time elections are held here, the party has assured healthcare and renovation of the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital in its manifesto – but it was always in vain…. Gandhi Saheb gave the equipment to the hospital in memory of his Maali. This is the difference between a politician and a philanthropist! Adil Gandhy saheb thank you for taking care of us Matheran’s residents by donating health care machinery to the Hospital.”

“But more needs to be done,” says Adil. “We need to undertake the necessary repairs so that the hospital can function as a proper, clean and hygienic medical centre. We hope to get help from generous Parsi Trusts and Matheran lovers to rebuild and restore this hospital to its former glory. For this, along with funds we will also need permissions from the powers that be, as this is a government hospital. I’m hopeful that the Collector will cooperate and provide me the sanctions required to renovate the place. Of course, we will do this in consultation with conservation architect – Kirtida Unwalla, who is also on the Monitoring Committee of The Matheran Eco Sensitive Zone.”

Residing in South Bombay, Adil Gandhy is involved in his family business which is reputed for its expertise in the niche segment of arts and picture framing. Incidentally, this is not the first time that Adil Gandhy has donated towards the welfare of Matheran residents and nearby locals. Last December, he donated two water storage tanks for usage of the Thakur Tribe, residing in Chichwadi (near Matheran), upon their appeal to him. Adil has also written to the Collector asking for permission to have a JCB, trailers and tractors allowed inside the protected zone of Matheran, to remove trees that were uprooted during the recent cyclone. 

It is this sense of giving and magnanimity of selfless Zarthostis like Adil Gandhy that add to the glory of our community and make us all proud community members!