Heritage Hospital

In the midst of the concrete jungle that is the city of Bombay, in an alcove off Breach Candy stands a heritage building which looks like an ancient castle. This is the beautiful stone building of the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital that takes care of Parsi patients who are sick, infirm or in need of surgery. However, what caught my fancy at this heritage site is a giant peepal tree that stands in the center of the rectangular garden plot. It has a massive trunk and solid branches spread out wide, covered with green leaves. Creepers and parasitic plants cling to the base of the trunk and move upwards seeking light. I walked around the base of the tree and found that its circumference is 80 feet. It has been cordoned off with a brick border. The awe-inspiring peepal tree and the tender blades of grass under my feet brought me nearer to my God. I ask, "Is there a man with a soul so dead” who has walked in and out of the portals of the Hospital and not noticed this humongous peepal tree?

I was at the Hospital for four days taking care of my husband Bomi who was recovering from a hernia surgery. Early every morning I would walk down the Hospital corridor to the terrace of the front porch and gaze at this gigantic beauty. In the garden the morning air was fresh, crisp and cool. Babaji, the head gardener, tended to the plants, watering them and raking up the weeds and fallen leaves with the help of his fellow gardeners. He has been tending the Hospital’s garden since 1969 and believes that the tree must be over a 100 years old. There are many other trees as well, including silver oak, mango, jackfruit, ashoka and badam, bushes of bougainvillea, musanda and hibiscus. The pine trees have acquired strange shapes over the years, bending in different directions, with one tree doubling over to make an arch inviting people into the garden. The stone statue of the great philanthropist Bomanji Dinshaw Petit stands at the corner of the driveway.

Awe inspiring peepal tree at the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital

The early dawn attracts many birds and as I walked down the garden path I would look up to see them. Parrots screeched on the peepal, bulbuls, the fan tailed flycatcher and tiny tailor birds flew around. Large kites would circle the sky above, then swoop onto the lawns, pick up twigs and straw in their talons and soar back into the sky. I would hear a delightful symphony of bird sounds as I took my morning stroll through the garden paths.

The heritage structure of the Hospital is now being refurbished by architect Rusi Khambatta who is doing an excellent job. The outer stone facade has remained untouched, the external walls of the building retained, while the inside space and walls are being redesigned. The old stone staircase, of heritage value, remains. Entire floors of the building are being removed and refitted with tiles, and the Hospital is being extended to accommodate special rooms, nursing stations and general wards. Old toilet blocks, located at the end of wards, have been done away with and new ones built at convenient distances from the beds. The new wing with its ICU, operation theaters and testing laboratories is already in use.

The Parsi community is indebted to donors like the Jokhis and the Parsis of Hong Kong, Canton and Macao, the Zartoshty brothers of Iran, and of course local help provided by the community in Bombay for making these changes possible.

Efficiency has improved a hundred fold. The doctors, nursing staff and service staff all work with promptness and a smile, while the kitchen sends out tasty, healthy meals to patients. Even at the administrative office we are patiently heard, advised and guided correctly. The doctors and surgeons are second to none. They serve humanity with sincerity, humility and kindness.

On the day of my husband’s surgery, I asked the watchman outside the operation theater if he had seen Dr Soonawalla enter. He replied: "Which Soonawalla are you looking for, Madam? We have four Soonawallas,” and he rattled off their names "and five Udwadias,” counting their names on his fingers! On another day, while I was walking down the corridor, I saw Dr Jamshed Bunshah approaching. He is the son of my friend Najoo, but he does not know me. As we passed each other I wished him "Good morning” in my best English accent. He responded in Gujarati with a "Sahèbji Ma!”

When the renovation is complete (one wing remains to be done), the Hospital will be able to accommodate many more patients, both rich and poor. The Hospital takes in poor patients free of cost, or for a very nominal fee. Parsis should take full advantage of this and support the institution so that it prospers and continues to serve the community.

All these recent changes are being made with the unstinting support of its administrators and the managing committee headed by Homa Petit. Vice president Aban Petit is the driving force behind the changes and new look. I thank them and all the donors who have given us the renewed Bomanji Dinshaw Petit Parsee General Hospital.

GOOL B. PAVRI