Cama Convalescent Home

In April 2007 I revisited the Bai Shirinbai Cama Convalescent Home (variously described as Cama Convalescent Home, Cama Home or the Home) situated at 56 B. J. Road in Bandra, a suburb of Bombay. The Home faces a vast expanse of the Arabian Sea. From the ground floor one can gaze at the ebb and flow of the tides, while the first floor provides a more panoramic view.

Boarding and lodging is absolutely free, with a weekly visit by a Parsi doctor who examines all the inmates and prescribes medicines when required, the cost of which is borne by the Home. On the ground floor are beds for women on one side and for men on the other, separated by a large screen. During my two-month stay there I noticed that occupancy by women inmates went beyond the maximum number of beds allotted to them, and some male inmates had to be relocated to the first floor. There are four ‘special’ rooms on the first floor which are available at a moderate charge. These rooms afford some privacy to the occupants.

The popularity of the Bai Shirinbai Cama Convalescent Home is such that every year in the month of May the entire first floor is made available for 15 days or so to Parsi school children who convert the place into a campus for their varied activities under the supervision of a few teachers.

The Home is looked after by a lady supervisor. Two energetic and enthusiastic trustees visit the place frequently and ensure that the genuine problems of the inmates are redressed. I urge members of our community to patronize the Home, a legacy left by its noble founder, Bai Shirinbai Cama.

BHIKHAJI M. ADENWALLA