The family of the visually impaired Parsi female patient at The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital was being regularly reminded to prepare for her discharge. They tried for admission at the F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla but were refused because she would have required a full-time attendant which as per their rules is not permitted for those residing in dormitories. She has been assured long-term stay at the Parsi Ward at J. J. Hospital once she gets her Aadhar card. But in the interim where could she go?
Fortunately for her, the WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) Jehangir Dinshaw Pandole Shelter which opened this February was functional and able to offer temporary lodging and boarding facilities. Started as a nine-bed facility at the Dadar Parsi Colony, 11 people have availed of the services in the past four months. When Parsiana spoke to WAPIZ chief executive officer (CEO) Anahita Desai in the third week of May, all the four beds in the women’s dormitory were occupied but only one of the five beds in the men’s section.
At the inauguration in memory of Jehangir Pandole (top);
top r: Pandole family (from l): Farokh, Darius, Yohan and Rian
From l, top row: Sherry Patel, Meher Panthaki, Karyesh Patel, Anahita Desai; Khojeste Mistree,
Farrokh Rustomji, Feroze Sethna, Burges Wania; 2nd row: plaques and a section of the invitees;
3rd row: Zal Eranee; Jimmy Kelawala, Yezdi Bhagwagar, Eric Anklesaria, Anahita Motafram
Jashan at the inauguration performed by
(inset) Dastur Keki (l) and Ervad Hormaz Ravji
Familiar with every occupant, Desai cited name and original residence, physical and mental health issues faced, the financial condition, and even the temperament of the inmate. Rather than adhere to a rule book, "admission is granted looking into the circumstances of each case. No payment is taken from anyone (for the stay and food) but if physiotherapy is required, the patient is expected to pay a nominal amount of Rs 500 per session if he or she can afford it.”
Since the Shelter was conceived as a temporary abode until an individual is able to return to his/her regular routine or find an alternative, the management aims to limit the duration of the stay to a maximum period of one-and-a-half months. "Most of the residents have come from the free wards of the Parsee General Hospital.” Although given a discharge, they are incapable of living independently. A couple of them were able to return to their respective residences at Rustom Baug or Contractor Baug, after a short stay at the Shelter. For the others, their next destination had to be organized.
One infirm person proceeded from the Shelter to the Cama Convalescent Home at Bandra. Only a few secured admission to the Parukh Dharamshalla at Khareghat Colony, administered by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP). Although currently only 53 of the Dharamshalla’s 80 beds in the dormitory, shared and single rooms are occupied, the committee is more selective when scrutinizing applicants, stated Desai who is also a BPP trustee. One of the residents from The WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Trust Funds Senior Citizens Centre in Navsari seeking to relocate to Parukh Dharamshalla also sought temporary stay at the Shelter until his application formalities were finalized. Those requiring additional care and attention are usually directed to the Parsi Ward at J. J. Hospital. But once admitted here, a patient cannot step out without opting for a discharge. Reentry then is uncertain. One resident at the Shelter who threatened others stating, "Tané chhari bhoki dévas (I will pierce a knife into you)” had to receive psychiatric treatment before being shifted to the J. J. Parsi Ward.
Among "the very different people” who have stayed at the Shelter, Desai spoke of a lady who insisted on giving a token donation of Rs 3,000 in appreciation of the help extended to her. Even more impressive was the "priest from Nargol, recovering from a hip fracture, who would try and do everything by himself despite one of his arms being amputated.”
Top: residential facilities at the Shelter; above: Pervin Langrana
Shielding the sick
At the inauguration of the premises by Farokh and Darius Pandole on December 19 last year, Desai recalled how the brothers had got in touch with WAPIZ representatives "to identify a project worthy of perpetuating the memory of their dear brother Jehangir” who had lost his life in a car accident in 2022. In the course of their Helping Hands for Seniors project, the WAPIZ team had realized the need for a place where they could house emergency cases on a temporary basis without lengthy admission procedures.
The idea appealed to the Pandole brothers who urged the WAPIZ team to identify suitable premises for setting up such a facility. Estate agent Anahita Motafram helped them find two adjacent ground floor flats in a building under the Jame Jamshed Trust, conveniently located at the Mancherji Edalji Joshi Dadar Parsi Colony. Chartered accountant Yezdi Bhagwagar who helps manage the trust is a good friend and neighbor of WAPIZ trustee Khojeste Mistree and the Pandoles. "It all fell into place,” Desai told the nearly 50 invitees at the inauguration.
"Call it a Temporary Residence / Home, a Stop Gap Home or a Home away from Home. It was sorely needed to attend to our helpless community members till we settle them back into their own homes or into community institutions, as the need may be,” stated Desai. In the course of her social work she has been observing "a large number of our community members lead lives of desperation, grappling with psychological problems, isolation, mental illness, neglect, loneliness, physical ailments and financial constraints. While there are trusts that render support permitting seniors to live with a modicum of dignity, for others it is a struggle to cope with age related problems coupled with lack of emotional, physical or financial support.”
The WAPIZ Helping Hands volunteers have come across Parsis living in homes infested with bugs or leaking toilets or negligible flow of water in the taps. The social workers were often unable to address these issues in the absence of a place where the residents could be temporarily accommodated. "The cases we have seen have shocked us,” admitted Desai, "but what is more alarming is that these are not one-off, stray cases. They are just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is far greater than we realized. These are cases we come across on a daily basis.” Resettling helpless community members into "one of the many homes for seniors our community benefactors have established” continues to be a challenge when institutions have admission formalities which may take days to process even while the need for accommodation is urgent.
Entrance to the building housing the Shelter
The contribution of Rs 1.5 crore by the Pandole brothers helped in paying the deposit for the flats. Yet another magnanimous donation of Rs 50 lakhs came from WAPIZ president Meher Panthaki (in memory of Coomie and Soli Dariwalla) that was also used towards the deposit amount. Zal Eranee made a generous corpus donation of two crore rupees (in memory of his parents Nargis and Kaikhoshroo Eranee), interest from which will be used towards running the Shelter. The Bai Maneckbai P. B. Jejeebhoy Trust Funds through Persis Vatcha contributed Rs 25 lakhs towards the refurbishment and maintenance of this Shelter. These four magnanimous donations are acknowledged on wall mounted plaques.
There were yet others whose largesse was gratefully announced at the inauguration. Fredun Medhora donated the surgical beds, cabinets and two wheelchairs. He has hitherto been supporting WAPIZ’s Adult Diaper Project, the monthly bill for which totals nearly Rs 90,000. Jimmy Kelawala, executor of the estate of Jal Sethna, gave one crore rupees to WAPIZ’s Mental Health Project. Eric Anklesaria bore the expenses of the renovation of the two flats including the plastering, wiring, painting, fitting of water tank, etc. Even Motafram waived off her brokerage of two lakhs rupees.
Social worker Sherry Patel oversaw the renovations, devoting several hours to supervise the work as her husband Karyesh, a WAPIZ trustee, has been battling health issues. Besides Panthaki, Desai, Mistree and Karyesh other WAPIZ trustees present at the inauguration were Farrokh Rustomji, Burges Wania and Feroze Sethna. Pervin Langrana is the manager of the Shelter.
The monthly running expenses for the Shelter are estimated at Rs 1,80,000, the largest portion of which will go as salaries for the manager, two ward boys and two ayahs, with the rest on food, license fees, electricity and miscellaneous costs.
The WAPIZ team believes in sending periodic updates to their donors to retain goodwill for their worthy projects.
For enquiries regarding the WAPIZ Jehangir Dinshaw Pandole Shelter contact Anahita Desai, mob: 9820284196 or Karyesh Patel, mob: 9820113791.