Dear Bjites:
It is a privilege, and a great pleasure, to inform you about very exciting things
happening in our BJMC Alumni Association. Our convention last August in Las Vegas
was very successful. And, while our gatherings are always a treat, this time something
truly unusual happened: most of the attendees opened their hearts and wallets and
pledged to donate $500 or $1000 on an annual, recurring basis. This was really a
very encouraging step, as well as financial and moral boost to our organization.
These funds will allow us to get involved in more projects in some neglected areas,
such as lectures, entertainment, and sports activities at our college.
While I am pleased to say that we have gained new life members during last few years,
our response rates still remains unsatisfactory. Our active members are graying,
and the average age for our members is going up. Our aim should be to continue to
expand the ranks of our members. I encourage you all to find those Bjites who are
missing from our database, and encourage younger alumni to not only take part in
the organization and its activities, but to take on a greater role and to help us
increase our numbers.
At the same time, the maturity of our members is a great asset to our organization.
We now have many members who have successfully completed their active careers and
have started thinking about their legacies. This has given them time to reflect
about the difference BJMC has made in their lives, and how they might do something
in return for their alma mater. As you might be aware, the great philanthropic activities
of several of our alumni have garnered notice and recognition not only among the
people and government of Gujarat, but also the national level.
Dr. Dinesh Patel (1954 entrance), from Mass. General Hospital at Harvard Medical
School, is at the forefront. He has donated $300,000 worth of equipment, he was
able to establish the Paraplegia Unit, and he has established the Physiotherapy
College and training center at the Civil Hospital. I have personally visited, and
it makes me proud to see one of our alumni make such a big difference for thousands
of lives. I speak for us all in wishing congratulations to Dr. and Mrs. Patel -
please keep up good work continue to stimulate others to reach the same heights.
Dr. Mahendra Patel (1953 entrance), from Westlake, Ohio, has carefully studied various
important areas where he can make a difference. Recently, he has contributed $250,000
to establish a state-of-the-art tissue typing laboratory department at the Civil
Hospital. This will tremendously help the organ transplant program by enabling new
methods of tissue typing to find the most compatible and appropriate donors, which
will in turn minimize transplant-related morbidities and keep post-transplant medical
costs (which remain the biggest obstacle for organ transplantation in developing
countries) low. Not only will the tissue typing laboratory enhance the quality of
life of organ recipients, but it will help start a major transplant program that
can handle, for example, heart, lung, and bone grafting. Dr. and Mrs. Patel are
at the very forefront with such a generous donation for our alma mater. We wish
the best of luck to Dr. and Mrs. Patel in all of their humanitarian projects!
In writing about the philanthropic activities of our fellow alumni, I can feel how
infectious their generosity is, and I am sure that their examples will help generate
new philanthropists among us. It is truly a pleasure to have so many stories to
share.
Dr. Dilip J. Patel (1959 entrance) from Buffalo, New York have supported the Ophthalmology
Institution at the Civil Hospital with a very large donation. This has made big
difference in the appearance of the hospital, and more patients are taking advantage
of the facilities as a result.
Dr. Purnima (1968 entrance) and Dr. Mahendra Shah from Oklahoma have donated $50,000
to the scholarship program, which will really help needy students to get an education
at BJMC. This is an area in which there is great need, as there are many students
at BJMC whose families have scant resources.
As an organization, we are working very closely with local Bjites and the local
Alumni Association at Ahmedabad. I, along with other executive members, met with
alumni leaders in Ahmedabad. Together, we were able to work on the hostel project,
computer and library improvements, and to inaugurate the first-ever BJMC white coat
ceremony, where newly admitted students were given new white coats with the BJMCAA
logo. The white coat ceremony was financially supported by us as well as the local
alumni association, and was much appreciated by the dean, members of the faculty,
and parents of the new students. I have already received two letters praising the
support and philanthropy of BJMCAA, USA.
At the AAPI convention, I met with a number of Bjites, and we had a long discussion
about our organization and how people can get further involved in pursuing their
passions. I have met many Bjites who are on the verge of retirement, and who will
finally have the time they have been waiting for to work on projects where their
talents, knowledge, and resources can be of benefit to people and to our alma mater.
For this reason, this is a very exciting time for the BJMCAA - it is a time for
us to listen to one another, advise one another, and support each other in making
long-delayed dreams come true.
On December 21 to 23 2007 we had second international alumni convention held at
BJ Medical College campus and it was very successful. Since Governor of Gujarat
was coming to inaugurate, our college auditorium was given face lift with changing
all broken benches, installing new ceiling fans and finally we have this large facility
usable after long time. There was very good response locally many gold medals were
announced by various alumni and professor. There was good momentum and everybody
felt we should put our energy and hostel should be repaired and should be reasonable
hospitable for students. Each room will get 50,000 rupees and alumni will put donor’s
name. We have already received 15 to 20 pledges. During gala diner there were more
than 1000 people. There were about 15 alumni from USA had attended. Post graduate
library was very well done with air condition by local alumni. We should try to
get our resources together and should get undergraduate library renovate with air
condition.
Like my predecessors, I welcome and encourage any suggestions that you may have
about any of our activities, including charity events, educational and scholarship
programs, and especially ideas about new projects that we should undertake. Your
input and ideas are greatly valued.
During our last convention, many people thought we should enhance our organization
and have greater visibility. During our December 2006 meeting, we discussed these
issues with the BJMC Alumni Association, Ahmedabad, and they have arranged a gathering
on December 21 to 23, 2007, in Ahmedabad. This will give us lots of opportunities
to discuss these issues further.
Lastly, I just want to remind those of you that made pledges during last year's
convention to please send your donations at your earliest convenience. I know how
busy we all are, and how easy it is to forget these things, so please keep your
pledges in mind.
As always, lease let me know if you have any suggestions, and do not hesitate to
give advice about how we can improve anything related to BJMC or BJMCAA.
Sincerely,
Bhanji Kundaria, M.D. FACP.
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