History
Before the onset of Paediatrics as an independent discipline, childcare was limited to using adult medication on to children, who were seen merely as mini versions of adults. It was in 1928 that Sir Ness Wadia and Sir Cusrow Wadia had a vision to provide specialized Paediatric and Neonatal care for children and as strong believers in the idea that the need for quality healthcare is universal, they vowed to provide affordable world-class medical services to children in every section of the society.
They built The Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, in memory of their mother Bai Jerbai Wadia.
In the first board meeting held by the Trust in February 1928, Sir Cusrow Wadia was selected as the Chairman of the board consisting of his brother Sir Ness Wadia and six other members. Dr. RN Cooper was appointed as Hon. Principal Medical Officer.
The foundation stone for the hospital was laid on 7th March, 1928 and was declared open on the 12th of December, 1929 by the Governor of Bombay at the time, Sir Frederick Sykes.
BJWHC emerged as India’s first independent specialized Paediatrics hospital, dedicated exclusively to healthcare for children, as recognized by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.
Bai Jerbai Wadia (1852 – 1926)
Born to a traditional family in 1852, Bai Jerbai Wadia was raised in the true Zoroastrian way of life, to become a sophisticated member of society. However, despite her affluent background and her family’s aspirations, Jerbai’s heart was otherwise inclined. Following the tenet of Zoroastrian philosophy, she wanted to immerse herself in providing service to the underprivileged of the community and work towards empowering and uplifting them. Bai Jerbai Wadia dedicated her life to philanthropic activities. She supervised the building of low-cost housing colonies for Zoroastrian aspirants looking for opportunities in Mumbai. She established the Nowrosjee Nusserwanjee Wadia Trust and Rustomjee Nowrosjee Wadia Trust fund for the building and maintenance of more such colonies for the Parsees. Her philanthropic endeavours also ensured provision of adequate healthcare for women and helped build several clinics and hospitals around the city.n
Sir Cusrow Wadia (1869 – 1950)
The oldest of Bai Jerbai and Nowrosjee Wadia’s 3 sons, Sir Cusrow Wadia, succeeded his father and became the custodian of not only his businesses but also the legacy of Philanthropy his parents left him. After his father, he worked towards expanding the family businesses. Taking over as the eldest son and with the help of his brother Sir Ness Wadia, Sir Cusrow led the Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company to becoming the largest textile operations in India. Christened as a “Chronic Philanthropist” Sir Cusrow’s support extended to various fields. From providing interest-free loans to the Royal Western Indian Turf Club to jointly providing for the Wadia College, Pune along with Sir Ness, to contributions to Indian agriculture, to name a few.