After beating cancer, Surat doctor and Pathologist wife killed in Air India Tragedy

Surat: A wave of grief has swept through the medical fraternity in Surat following the tragic deaths of a well-known doctor couple, Dr Hitesh Shah and Dr Amita Shah, in the recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. The couple was among the 242 people on board the ill-fated flight. 

Dr Hitesh Shah and his pathologist wife, Dr Amita, were respected members of the medical community in Surat. For years, they ran their own clinic, Smit Hospital, in the Adajan area. They had shut down the hospital in 2022 after Dr Hitesh was diagnosed with lymphoma. However, he made a full recovery within a year and later joined the Surat General Hospital to continue serving patients.

Even after bravely defeating cancer and making a remarkable recovery, fate had other plans for the doctor and his wife. He lost his life in the tragic plane crash that not only shattered his dreams to live life after retirement but also the dreams of countless others who perished in the fire.

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As per an Indian Express news report, the couple was on their way to London to attend a birthday celebration of Dr Hitesh’s sister when tragedy struck. Their sons, Smit and Sneh, both IT professionals living in the US, returned to Gujarat after receiving the heartbreaking news. Sneh provided his DNA sample, which helped authorities identify the bodies. 

According to the police, Smit works with Google, and Sneh is employed with Marvell Technologies. The officials handed over the bodies of the doctor couple to their sons on Monday afternoon and brought them to their home in an ambulance for a brief 15-minute tribute. 

As per government rules, the coffins were not opened. Photos of the couple were placed on top of the coffins so friends and relatives could offer their respects. The cremation happened at Jehangirpura Cremation Home on Monday evening.

Talking to The Indian Express, Dr Amita’s brother, Dr Samir Shah, said, “Dr Hitesh was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2022, and was entirely cured one year ago. He shut down his hospital as he could not attend it regularly due to his illness. After getting fully healed, he joined Surat General Hospital. It was Sneh who had provided his blood samples that matched the DNA of his parents. He was allowed to see the faces of his parents. Smit is under mental shock. The bodies came in an ambulance."

“We have lost our beloved people. They were quite humble and were planning to retire from the medical fraternity. As per the government protocol, we are allowed to keep the body at the house of the doctor couple for 15 minutes, where relatives, family members and friends will offer floral tribute on the coffins kept in the ambulance. The coffins are not allowed to be taken out of the ambulance or even opened to see the faces. Two photos of the couple will be placed on the coffins, allowing people to identify them and pay their respects. 

The police team and district administration officials will remain present to ensure that the protocol is properly maintained. We are not sure whether the bodies will be cremated with coffins or without them. We are hoping to keep the Besna (a post-cremation ritual) in the coming days so that people can come to our home and pay their respects."

Medical Dialogues had previously reported on the death of another doctor couple from Udaipur who were on the journey to begin a new life in London, but it turned into an unimaginable tragedy for them. Dr Komi Vyas and Dr Prateek Joshi, along with their three children, were among the 241 passengers who died after Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, crashed in a fiery explosion into the Ahmedabad-based BJ Medical College hostel just moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday.

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