A British-era tunnel, dating back 130 years, was found at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital on Friday. Dr. Arun Rathod, the resident medical officer (RMO) of the hospital, was taking a walk on the premises near the nursing college building of the hospital when he stumbled upon the tunnel. Dr. Rathod saw a hole in a wall while taking a stroll, Dr Rathod sensed there was a tunnel, and informed the authorities. The Archaeological Department of the government-run hospital will prepare a comprehensive report on the discovery and submit it to the local administration.
Leela Lal Vora, an accounting staffer at the hospital, said the 130-year-old tunnel runs from the delivery ward to the children’s ward of the hospital.
Dr. Pallavi Saple, the dean of the hospital, said the building under which the tunnel has been discovered was once used as a medical ward to treat women and children. Now, it is being converted into a nursing college, which is located in the premises of the J J hospital and Grant Medical College, Mumbai.
The foundation stone of the 200-meter-long tunnel built during the British era in India, mentions the year 1890, according to the officials.
On 30 March, 1843, the foundation stone of the Grand Medical College building was laid. One of the oldest institutions of medicine in South Asia, it opened two years later in 1845.
The founder of the hospital was Sir Jamshetjee Jejeebhoy, donated Rs. 1 lakh and established a “School of practice” which later came to be known as JJ hospital.
Earlier, in May, the JJ Hospital had reported the first successful organ donation in the city since the Covid-19 pandemic. The recipient was Reena Bansode, a 43-year-old advocate. She was admitted at the hospital on May 15 and was declared ‘brain dead’ on May 18 by a team of doctors.
The hospital authorities then counselled the patient’s relatives about an organ donation and after receiving a positive response, the organ donation procedure was conducted successfully. Details from the initial investigation of the tunnel will be submitted to the collector’s office.
