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The post on Parsiana’s Facebook page on October 4, 2019 about Jal and Pervin Shroff of Hong Kong withdrawing their magnanimous pledge to donate USD 22.5 million (Rs 160 crores) to The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) drew the expected anguish from a bewildered community. Many wondered how anyone could oppose a plan to safeguard the future of one of the community’s most cherished and critical institutions.
"This is so sad,” wrote recording artist and blogger Feritta Artiste Feritta. "There are a lot of big talkers but empty hearts. And when someone shows kindness and generosity you should be thankful.” Samanaz Lashkari from Bombay who describes herself as self-employed termed the withdrawal "a big loss for our community.”
"A very bad situation has been created,” lamented Rohinton Khokri, currently from Navsari. Marina Gandhi of Calcutta who describes herself as "happily retired” commented "we seriously are our own worst enemy. And deserve everything we get (or don’t).”

 

 

 

 

Firuza R (no personal details provided on her page) wrote, "Thank you Zoru Bhathena (a businessman and environmental activist who along with property businessman Aspi Deboo filed an application with the Charity Commissioner opposing the project), thank you Nauzer Bharucha (senior journalist with a daily paper who opposed the project) and all of us who stood by these two Parsi boys to show these donors they were being conned.” Homeopath and community activist Dr Viraf Kapadia who opposed the Shroffs’ proposal wrote, "Thank Ahura Mazda for saving B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital.”
Of the 90 comments posted till October 7, about 40 expressed disappointment that the deal has fallen through. Nine expressed happiness, with several from the same parties. Other comments were of a general nature.
Homa Petit, PGH president, broke the distressing news to his colleagues on the Hospital’s executive committee on October 3. "I have to inform all of you that on October 1, 2019, I received an e-mail from our munificent donors Jal and Pervin Shroff informing us and the members of the executive committee that as the project for the new hospital had unfortunately got ‘bogged down by administrative bureaucracy, legal challenges and disruptive opposition from members of our community,’ and as the same have not been sorted out enabling construction to start by October 1, our donors have reluctantly taken a final and irreversible decision to withdraw their financial pledge of USD 22.5 million.” Petit stated that he had also written to the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet informing them of the donors’ decision and thanking them for their cooperation for the project.
"I end with a note of personal regret that an excellent scheme which would have benefited the community, the Hospital, and particularly its poor and needy, has been brought to naught by a few recalcitrant persons within our own community who will now have to live with their conscience for this unfortunate result,” he concluded.
On October 1, the Shroffs, who had pledged the amount for the creation of a cosmopolitan hospital from whose turnover PGH would receive a percentage plus a fixed annual amount, wrote to Petit: "In the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 we were presented by you, with financial feasibility reports to set up tertiary care, a super specialty hospital in The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital Bombay campus estimated to cost around USD 11 million.
"We the donors came to Bombay in early 2014 to finalize the building of a tertiary care super specialty hospital but were presented with a completely revised new plan to set up a seven-storey hospital building on the campus of the existing PGH at an estimated cost of approximately USD 20 million.
"After lengthy discussion, we agreed to pledge USD 20 million plus an additional USD 2.5 million for an oncology division…
"Please take this as our final decision to withdraw the financial pledge of USD 22.5 million. Our American philanthropic colleague has also withdrawn his commitment of an additional USD five million due to lack of progress. The decision has not been made ‘lightly’ — we have considered the implications carefully and it would be ‘irresponsible’ of me at the age of 82 to keep alive a pledge made nearly six years ago. Our family is 100% supportive of the decision.”
The Shroffs’ pledge was the single largest donation ever made to the community. Their objective in making the offer was to ensure a continuous source of income for PGH, many of whose patients are of limited financial means. Two parties, lawyer Khushru Zaiwala and his wife Meher (see "Aspiring for the agreement,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, May 21, 2018) and the duo of Bhathena and Deboo (see "PGH: Deal or no deal?” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, February 7, 2019) opposed the Shroff-PGH proposal and filed objections before the Charity Commissioner.